Parents deal with many problems; getting-out-the-door-in-the-morning struggles, arguments about when homework will get done, and you might have a child who is chronically late. It can be incredibly frustrating and exhausting to face a parenting problem like this. What parents don't realize is that many of the struggles and battles they have with their teen stem from problems with time management. Time management for teens is a life skill that affects all areas of a child’s life—and the parent’s too! It’s something all parents need to teach their kids but we don’t get much direction on how to do that but that problem is solved right here. Mighty Parenting hosts interview time management for teens expert Leslie Josel. Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler pick Leslie’s brain to find out what stops our teens from having good skills and what we can do about it.
Real Talk: We interact with many people throughout our days and you may see a teen who seems to be struggling, in trouble, or heading for trouble. When a situation like this hits your radar you may wonder what to do; should you approach the teen? Talk to the parent? How will they react? Is it any of my business? These are good questions and exactly what Judy and Sandy are exploring in Real Talk.
 
A Favorite Quote from the Show:
The key question to ask your teen to help them learn to bridge time is, “What is your plan?”
 
High Points Interview:
Time management is a brain-based behavior so if your teen is time management challenged then their capabilities are going to be 30% less than their chronological age in the area of that deficiency (your 16 year old will have 15 year old will have 10 year old capabilities).
When a teen has an executive challenge, kids know what to do but can’t do what they know.
Being time aware, able to see time, means understanding how time flows, how long things take and how to set up plans for future events.
One indicator that your child is not time aware is if they function well in school but it falls apart at home. In school they are supported in many ways in seeing time move but that structure doesn’t exist at home.
Students live in 2 worlds. They live in the Now, right now, this moment. And they see the “not now”, the future whether it’s 5 minutes, 5 days, or 5 years. To them, Not Now is waaaay over there, way in the future. Making kids time aware means helping them understand that time exists beyond the now. The breakdown comes in trying to connect Now to Not Now.
When kids are walking out of the house parents tend to use “Oh, by the way” and “Don’t forget”. Never really asking your child, how are you going to remember what I’m asking you?
Parents are busy but she’s laying down the Leslie Law and telling us that we have to spend time teaching our kids to be time aware. This is a crucial life skill and it will impact them way more than the grade they got on their 9th grade test on Mesopotamia.
We need to hang analog clocks, the old face clocks, in every room our teen spends time in. These clocks let kids see time move. The most important room is the bathroom.
The key question to ask your teen to help them learn to bridge time is, “What is your plan?” What is your plan after soccer? What is your plan after school? What is your plan after your shower? What is your plan to get your report done because we’re going to Grandma’s Sunday?
Your brain needs to be exercised just like every muscle in your body.
If you are listing off the things your child needs to do or telling them what to take with them running out the door, the only brain being exercised is yours.
Don’t use Mom Minutes. When we say, “Just one minute” and it’s twenty minutes then it makes it hard for kids to learn to see time. Parents need to respect time and reflect that in the way we talk about it.
How the heck do I teach my kid time management when I’m having trouble with my own? One tip is for the parent to speak their mental processing. Literally speak out loud all the thoughts you run throu