1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about how to help children, or really anyone, 4 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: learn about time management. Well. I tend to write about 5 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: time management for grown ups. People often ask me how 6 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: parents can help their kids learn about managing time. Small 7 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: children live very much in the here and now, so 8 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 1: for them, time management is about routines. First we brush 9 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: our teeth and get dressed, Then we get in the car. 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: Older children can start to think more about schedules. The 11 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: issue is that while some children respond well to parental instruction, 12 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: others do not. This is particularly true as children approached 13 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: the teen years, when time management might start to be 14 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: a really useful skill, but arrants become easy to tune out. Fortunately, 15 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: there's a good way around this issue, and that is 16 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: to ask for the child's help solving your schedule challenges. 17 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: If you've got a planner or a calendar, show it 18 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: to the child. Identify your particular dilemma. It could be 19 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: a professional one. For example, you could tell a teenager, hey, 20 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: my business just landed a bunch of Latin American clients. 21 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: We usually do business in English, but I know it 22 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: would be helpful to brush up on my high school Spanish. 23 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: That would show that I'm interested in this relationship. Hey, 24 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: you're taking a foreign language class right now. How would 25 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: you recommend I go about practicing? What are practical things 26 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,839 Speaker 1: I can do? How long do you think this would take? 27 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: When should I build those sessions into my schedule? How 28 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: can I hold myself accountable? There's some chance your child 29 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: will come up with ideas you haven't thought of, in 30 00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: which case great, But whether that's true or not, these 31 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: conversations introduced the idea of breaking big tasks down into 32 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: doable steps and then fitting them into a busy schedule. 33 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,519 Speaker 1: The upside of focusing on your schedule rather than the 34 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: child's is that it changes the conversation. It's not about 35 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: you seeming accusing or interrogating them, It's about them helping you. 36 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:28,279 Speaker 1: You are the example, You are the one under the microscope, 37 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: and since you are the one with more inherent power 38 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: in the situation, this approach is far more constructive. You 39 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: can try this with your kids for challenges with your 40 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: personal time too. Depending on the relationship, you might want 41 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: to start with a dilemma you're facing that doesn't directly 42 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: involve your child. For instance, you might say, hey, Davi 43 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: at church asked if I could lead the food bank 44 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: program this year? What do you think? Do I have time? 45 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: How should I think about this? This can lead to 46 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: a discussion of what is a priority during each size 47 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: and of life, what is not, and how we manage 48 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: other people's expectations and our own passions. Once the lines 49 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,679 Speaker 1: of communication are more open, then you can advance to 50 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 1: challenges that have more to do with the child. I 51 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: want to go to Tuesday night spin class. You need 52 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: a ride home from track practice? How do we figure 53 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: this out? As a side note, well, employees aren't children 54 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: at all. There are a few parallels here. I often 55 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:30,519 Speaker 1: hear from managers who would like to help younger employees 56 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: in particular figure out how to manage their time. Again, 57 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: to make this a learning situation and to deal with 58 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: the power dynamic, you might be better off asking for 59 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: the employees feedback on your schedule. Track your time for 60 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: a week, share your log with the employee, ask what 61 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: they think you're doing well and what you can improve on. 62 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: You're teaching the same skills they'll need to analyze their 63 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: own time, but you're doing it in a way that 64 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: might be more likely to stick. So why consider sharing 65 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: your own challenges with someone else who needs to learn 66 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: about time management. You might get some good ideas, but 67 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: at the very least you'll have an interesting conversation in 68 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 69 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd 70 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 71 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 72 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b the number four, 73 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me 74 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media 75 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all 76 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying 77 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. 78 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i 79 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 80 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.