One of the biggest responsibilities of being a parent is teaching adequate life skills. Homeschooled or not, every parent wants their child to succeed educationally, but fundamentally succeeding at life is a must. As kids get older, one of the best ways to prepare them for independence is by teaching them the skill of time management.
I have a terrible problem with attention span, or, more precisely, lack thereof. In order to counter-balance that trait, I am a huge proponent of schedules. I need the structure and detail to keep me focused on what needs to be completed. Turning over the reins of responsibility began in the form of daily schedule planning. While I still have final say on the subjects that will be covered, my daughter has been given the job of planning how all of her tasks will be completed each day. Knowing what needs to be done and being able to figure out how to make that happen are invaluable skills.
Take Inventory
When starting to plan for high school, sit down and make a list of all the courses that need to be completed, according to your state regulations. Each state will have a set number of credits for specific subjects that are required for graduation. If your child knows what they want to study in college, it’s a good idea to compare that list with undergraduate courses in their chosen major. College requirements will vary from school to school so compare the course listings at a few colleges to get a general idea.
Making a Plan
Once you have a list of required/chosen courses, sort them into each year of high school in which they will be completed. Some will go in logical order, pre-algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, etc., and some will be strictly preference. Either way, make a year-by-year plan.
Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Having all four years planned out just leaves the day-to-day details. This is where I handed off the baton. While planning and making schedules for the years before high school, I always made a point to include my daughter. I felt it was important for her to see not only what went in to creating schedules and the time it took, but also the actual process involved.
So when 9th grade planning rolled around, she knew what to do. Mostly. She took her list of courses, extracurriculars, chores and personal responsibilities and started organizing. It was totally up to her what time she started her day and what time she ended her day, but each of the items on the list had to have a time allotment.
When she was finished, we looked over them together and made adjustments where needed. By doing this, not only was she learning a useful skill, but she was also now responsible for her day. If she chose to get up at 10 instead of 7, she had to be willing to accept the consequence of working later in the day or evening.
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Why Now?
So why do I bring this up now, in the middle of the school year? Because it’s also that time in the year when your plans may not be going according to plan. Or maybe you just need a little adjustment. It’s ok. Even though you may have gone through the process of organizing classes and planning daily tasks, things change. Maybe they’re working, but you just need a little change; get out of the rut, if you will. Make it. Or better yet, let your kids make it. Give them the opportunity, and permission, to see that accommodating life, whether it’s due to an unavoidable circumstance or just because you need to shake things up, doesn’t mean that their hard work and planning were for naught.
Help them take a critical look at what they’re doing now and figure out how they can make it better, or easier, or more efficient. An overhaul of daily life can be a great way to get back on track for the rest of the year. You can use my simple “Time Makeover” to help everyone regroup. Maybe, it’s something that you make a permanent part of your yearly plan.
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