Teaching kids time management

MANILA, Philippines - It’s always good to start them young — especially when teaching them how to manage their time.

By teaching children the values they need to learn early on — particularly, the important lesson of time management — parents prepare their kids for a lifetime of self-discipline which will no doubt help them in their adulthood.

“Setting clear priorities on how they’ll spend their days teaches kids the discipline of time management,” says Janice Villanueva, active mom to Coby, Reese, and Zac. She adds that during the school year, she wants the kids to put their studies as top priority. “For our kids to focus on this, we do not allow them to watch TV or play on the computer or their PSP during weekdays.  During weekends, however, they are free to do whatever they want so they can relax and recharge in time for the next week of classes. We also try to squeeze in some sports activities on weekends so they also get some physical activity.”

To properly guide children on how to manage their time, parents have to know what rules they want to set for their kids. But imposing rules is not enough: It is also necessary to make kids understand why these limits are being set, so that they will realize the reasons behind these rules.

”Parents should talk to their kids about the consequences whenever they don’t manage their time,” opines Jen Tan, progressive parenting advocate and hands-on mom to Paul and Kevin. “It isn’t enough that parents discipline them whenever they refuse to follow. Parents should communicate how time management affects their kid’s daily activities. For example, parents can tell children that if they prioritize studying now, that means they have more time to play later on.”

At every stage of their children’s life, parents should adjust the lesson of time management. As kids grow older, moms and dads should give them more leeway to make decisions on their own and handle their schedules properly. That is why it helps to equip them with time-telling tools, such as the character timepieces from the Kid’s Watch Central featuring cartoon characters well loved by children everywhere.

Watches can constantly remind kids that their time is running and they need to do what needs to be done right away,” notes Rachelle Diaz, blogger and loving mom to Aidan and Josh. “Kid’s Central Watches with character designs help kids become more aware of the time since these watches visually appeal to them. As they use the watches more, they learn the value of time in their daily activities.”

Without doubt, parents should give their children an early head start on the lesson of time management. And with proper guidance and the right tools such as Kid’s Watch Central’s character timepieces, kids will definitely learn this important lesson well.