From Panic to Planned: Time Management Tricks Every Middle Schooler Needs 

What is Time Management?  

Ask your child these 3 questions:  

1. What do you want to do?
2. When do you want to do it?
3. How well do you want to do it?  

The common thread of these 3 questions is “…do you want to do….?” Time management is all about making, organizing, and executing choices. You can’t manage time itself, but you can manage your use of time. 

What Gets in the Way of Our Time? 

Helping your student label and categorize his/her priorities shows them the level of “need” for each activity. This leads them to a better understanding of the importance of scheduling time to do homework and studying to avoid procrastination. 

Using the What Are Your Priorities? worksheet, students can see what category their priorities fall into—Rock, Pebble or Sand—and adjust as needed. 

• Rock Priorities: “have to do” 

• Pebble Priorities: “enjoy doing” 

• Sand Priorities: “filler time” 

The Act of Procrastinating 

Students can find themselves delaying or postponing assignments, projects, and studying because it is undesirable. The same is true with activities at home such as chores. They allow low-priority tasks to get in the way of high-priority tasks.  

The 5 main causes of procrastination are: 

1. Rebellion
2. Fear of failure
3. Lack of enjoyment
4. Fear of success
5. Lack of motivation 

It is natural to procrastinate. We all do it. Recognizing when your child is experiencing one of these feelings and guiding them to overcome it, will help them learn to recognize it themselves, cope with it, and ultimately change the behavior.  

Try the following strategy to fight procrastination:  

W- Weigh benefits of completing the task vs procrastinating to self and others 

A- Analyze the task and break it apart into periods of time and pieces that are doable  

S- Set reasonable goals with deadlines 

P- Plan by implementing your tasks/goals into your daily/weekly schedule 

S- Start NOW and learn to say NO 

Time Management Strategies 

• Create a Weekly Plan:

Choose a time each week to sit with your child and make a Weekly Plan. This helps them see the entire week and gives them the ability to plan. List their priorities for the week which includes additional activities they participate in such as sports, clubs, family events, etc. Also include optional things they would like to do this week if you have time. 

• Develop Routines:

Use an agenda every day to record and manage assignments, projects, and assessments. Before your child goes to bed, encourage them to have all their work put away, pack their lunch and bookbag, and place it by the door.  

• Maximize Time:

Encourage them to do homework early in the afternoon after taking a small break after school. Tackle the hardest subjects first. Create a block of study time (40-50 min), followed by a quick break (5-10 min) to get up, get a snack, etc., then return to working. 

• Use a Project Planner:

Don’t let projects overwhelm your child. Students can get lost in the amount of time that is given for a project. Avoid procrastinating by helping your child plan out their projects using a Project Planner. By breaking up the project into phases, your child will experience a manageable amount of work. Add each phase to their agenda. 

Making Smart Choices 

When your student knows their priorities, avoids the procrastination traps, and uses tools like weekly plans, agendas, and project planners, they can take control of their schedule instead of letting it control them. It will take time to adjust but eventually it will become a habit and give them freedom with their time and the confidence to tackle any academic challenge with ease.