Let me guess – you’re just about ready to pull your hair out because your child can’t keep up with deadlines? Or maybe you just spent another night working on a project the day before it’s due – and all the coffee in the world isn’t helping you make it through the workday? Sounds like it’s time to tips on time management for students in middle school that will STICK.
Middle school is the BEST time to get rolling with helping your child build independence with managing their time – but they might need a little guidance at first! The best way to support your child learn to better manage their time is to follow the same approach you probably took when you taught them to ride a bike. (Or maybe to cook quick and easy meals, if you’re anything like my mom!) You want to give them all the skills they need to be successful and then let them fly free. Sure, they might fall (or make those boiled eggs explode in the pot and get all over the ceiling…), but you’re never too far away to help get them back on track. That’s kind of how supporting them with time management will work, too!
Tip Ready for those tips? Read on to find 7 time management tips that you can use with your child TODAY (and stop staying up late again finishing a project the night before it’s due).
Tip 1: Use an Agenda
Seriously, y’all, this is the first tip for a reason! I say this to my students so much that they’re probably secretly planning to revolt the next time I say it *shrug*. Using an agenda of their own is the BEST way for your child to gain independence with keeping up with both school and home commitments.
I highly recommend using a student planner rather than planners where they have to write the title of each class. Student planners are set up with a space for each class and, often, spaces to add additional classes at the bottom as well. Your child’s school might even provide a student planner for them. They should write something in EVERY section EVERY day. If there is no homework on a given day, they can write none or just put a giant X in the box. You want them to get used to thinking of an empty section as a section that they need to do something about – either double checking to see if they have homework, adding in review items for a test or quiz, or celebrating a night free of homework for that class.
Pro Tip: Add commitments outside of school – sports practices, tutoring lessons, even Grandma Shirley’s birthday bash – to their planner to help them get a better idea of how much they can truly take on each night.
Tip 2: Have Sunday Sit Downs
Sunday Sit Downs happen on – you guessed it – Sundays! This is a time for you to sit down with your child and review the calendar for the week. Think through what you have going on – sports practices, doctor appointments, tutoring, even Grandma Shirley’s 98th birthday dinner – and get it all written down in their planner. Allowing them to have it all written down ahead of time gives them the opportunity to plan around it as they make time for the other stuff they have to do and want to do.
Pro Tip: Add these dates to a large wall calendar in a really visible spot in your home. It’ll serve as a visual reminder for both you AND your child.
Tip 3: Break Large Assignments Down Into Smaller Chunks
Middle schoolers often have a habit of looking at an assignment, looking at the due date, and not thinking about it again until the night before it’s due. Sound like your child? Sit down with your child and think through all of the smaller tasks that must be done to eventually get a project done or to be well-prepared for an upcoming test. Make a list! Work with them to create a plan for getting each item on the checklist completed by the deadline and specify which task they should work on each day. This will make it really easy for you to check in with them regularly without needing to constantly breathe down their neck about getting it done.
Pro Tip: Plans change, so be prepared! Add in a day or two for them to “catch up” when and if they get behind.
Tip 4: Estimate How Long Each Assignment or Task Will Take
Taking a stab at guessing how long a task will take isn’t exactly second nature for a middle schooler. I promise you, it’s worth it! By estimating how long a task might take, they’ll be able to better plan their evenings (and hopefully decide to put off spending hours learning that new TikTok dance for a day better suited for that). As they get to know how each teacher operates, they’ll also be able to estimate about how long they spend working on homework on average each night. You can help by giving them gentle reminders to estimate their time and praising them for their effort.
Pro Tip: Start by having them track how long it takes them to FINISH an assignment. They’ll begin to become more aware of what types of tasks take them longer than others. This will help them be able to more easily estimate their time ahead of time in the future!
Tip 5: Befriend Technology
There are so many amazing (AND FREE) technology tools that can help with time management! My two favorites for middle schoolers are Google Calendar and Google Keep. Not only are they really user friendly, they also work well with one another. Your child can access Google Keep from within Google Calendar and easily add assignments to daily to do lists while keeping track of all of their commitments. Just open Google Calendar, click the orange icon with the lightbulb in the right sidebar, and it should pop right open. For more info, check out this blog post from Kasey at Shake Up Learning. She’s a wealth of knowledge for all things technology!
Pro Tip: Create separate notes in Google Keep for each class. Color code them, if you’re feeling fancy. Turn on the checkboxes so that your child can cross things off as they complete them (and still allow you to see what the assignments were)!
Tip 6: Communicate With Them
Once you have set up some systems and expectations with your child (hellooooo, Sunday Sit Down and Daily Agenda Use!), they’re still going to need some help from you. As often as possible, communicate any changes in the schedule to them in advance. The more they are able to anticipate changes and adjust their plan for the week, the better they will be with managing the time they have. While kids do require structure and consistency, that isn’t always the way things happen. Being flexible isn’t always easy, so help lighten the load for them and clearly communicate changes to them as often as possible.
Pro Tip: If you’re using an online calendar (which you should because the kids love tech!), share a calendar with your child. It will automatically update as you add or remove things. You should still try your best to let them know in advance as much as possible, but this will help cover you for those times when you can’t.
Tip 7: Be the Change You Wish To See
Model. Model. Model. The more you can model the habits you want them to take on, the better off they will be. Show them what successfully managing time looks like. Talk to them about times in your week where things popped up and flexibility was key. Update your calendar and to do lists alongside them. Give them opportunities to see how you practice the skills you want them to build. Middle schoolers need to understand why something is important and how what they’re learning connects to some greater goal. What better way to teach them that than by being a living, breathing example of productivity?
Pro Tip: Show them the times you failed, too! It’s important that you also model imperfection so that they don’t view your success as a wildly unattainable goal. Added bonus? They learn from your mistakes. We love a good learning opportunity over here!
And Now The Work Begins! You Ready?
Of course you are! Remember that your child is not going to approach things the same way you do (wouldn’t that make life easier?). The good news? They look to you for guidance and I haven’t met a kid yet that didn’t want the person they love most to be insanely proud of them. And yes, this is true even when they act like you’re invisible and your words mean nothing. Teach them the skills they need, give them space to try them out, and be there to support them when things get rough.
You’ve got this!
Until next time,
Ashley 🙂
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