In an effort to help the boys feel more in control of their day I have tried a few different strategies.
When the older ones were four I printed out a list of things that they do in any given day, complete with a cute clip art picture for each item. I slipped the printout into a plastic sheet protector and got some dry erase markers. Then the boys could see what the plan was and cross off items as we completed them. If there was a picture we weren’t going to use that day I crossed it off in advance.
When they were older, listing the day’s activities on a dry erase board and letting them check off or erase the items was fun for a while.
A more intensive plan included making a pocket chart and printing tasks on business cards. I listed out each subject of school, and as many free time and fun activities as I could. The boys had fun setting their own schedules for the day by putting cards into the slots in the order of their choosing. Come to think of it, I should get back to that one. The younger boys might really enjoy it as well.
One strategy I haven’t used but I know is highly effective with young children is to take pictures of all the scheduled activities and put them in a small photo album. The child can flip through the activities. This technique really helps with helping the child feel more secure and structured; I’ve also seen it used to help reduce power struggles. Instead of arguing over brushing teeth, the parent just points to the picture and says something cheerful like “Oh look! The next pic is for tooth brushing.”
For older kids, using a planner is really effective. I know that many schools require students to use a planner to record assignments and communicate with parents. This is a great foundation for calendar and planner usage in the future.
Speaking of which, the boys each picked out their own little calendar this January. The younger ones just look at the pictures, but the older boys have been marking events in theirs. I think it’s adorable. 
So what about you? What kinds of things do you do to help your kids manage time?
by AmyL
[tags]home, kids, parents, children, time management, teaching, learning, pictures, photos, schedule, adjustment, comfort, stability, organization[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by Natmandu, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
5 responses so far ↓
imho // Feb 23, 2008 at 7:39 am
You don’t know what is going on with that family, so don’t judge.
Debbie // Feb 23, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Our kids are nearly 4 and nearly 5. When we adopted them from Russia 14 months ago, we shared very little language, since they were fluent in Russian and we weren’t. They were accustomed to the orderly life of an orphanage, so from the get-go we have kept a predictable schedule. We have always explained to them, with whatever words we had and finger-counting gestures, “We will do [a] now, then [b], then [c].” Never more than three items. Before long, the kids were repeating the items back to us. We have also always listed the day’s events first thing in the morning, and the next day’s events at bedtime.
We have used calendars to count down to big events by having the kids alternate days decorating the squares. This isn’t so much a technique for organization as it is a way of keeping everybody informed and provoking discussion. A good example: We moved over the summer, and moving is hard on kids who’ve recently left everything behind, so we used the countdown to help them get ready emotionally.
Finally, a day-to-day technique that I use to help them make choices: I spread my hands, palms facing each other, a couple of feet apart and say, “You have this much time.” I then chop it up with one hand. “If you use this much time to [a], you will have only this much time left to [ b].” I usually see understanding dawn in both sets of eyes; then both kids run to finish [a]. If they don’t, then they always understand the consequences. Yes, they get mad at themselves when they waste their [b] time doing [a]. But they rarely make that choice again!
renee - 21st Century Parenting // Feb 24, 2008 at 5:55 am
great idea! my son is 14 and resists organization assistance. we had a chore chart. put I think it embarrased him 2 display it. (?) I will try listing them in his planner.
@debbie, sounds like you guys really have a great system! I admire your dedication & strength to establish strong communication across a language barrier!
Debbie // Feb 24, 2008 at 8:56 am
Thanks!
I forgot to mention that for a while we did something like AmyL suggests with the photo books: I made sticker charts for each kid each week that showed pictures, in order, of everything they were expected to do at certain transition points during the day. (You’ve seen charts like this in stores or on those nanny-reality shows on TV. ) I included two-word descriptions in English so that all assisting adults would use the same terms. We hung the charts in the rooms where we used them: get-up-get-dressed charts inside the kids’ closets; bath-and-bed charts inside the bathroom door. The kids were to go down their own charts doing their own tasks (e.g. pick out pj’s, take off clothes, put clothes in hamper) and putting stickers in the squares for completed ones. When/if they completed that day’s column, they got to choose a very desirable “special sticker” for the bottom square.
Charts like this are best used for no more than a month, just for teaching purposes, but we went longer because the kids liked the stickers so much. When we found them getting bored, we stopped using them.
AmyL // Feb 24, 2008 at 1:27 pm
@Debbie: wow! Great techniques. I admire how much you’ve done to help your kids weather such big transitions.
@Renee: Good luck with your son! I hope you’re able to work out a solution that makes life easier for everyone. I like the idea of chores in the planner. Let us know how it works out, will you?
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