Combat Procrastination

We’ve all been there — it’s half an hour before bedtime, and your child suddenly pulls out a new project. She informs you it’s due the next morning, and after a little digging, you find out she’s known about it for three weeks. Procrastination can sidetrack a child’s academic potential and her love for learning. To help your child fight her procrastination habits, try these tips from Polk County private schools.Commit to Five MinutesWhen your child procrastinates, it likely means that she’s often overwhelmed by the task in front of her. By putting just five minutes into getting started, this can help take the edge off that anxiety and make the rest of the job manageable. Encourage her to commit to five minutes of focused work. Once that’s behind her, you may find that she’s ready to keep working.Be Realistic and Detailed in Your SchedulingEffective scheduling is a great tool to combat procrastination. It’s easy to think, “If I take today off, I just have to do one hour a day until the project is done.” It’s harder to think, “I should start today so I have less to do each day.” Talk to your child about the benefits of working consistently toward a deadline, and help her use a planner to outline specific tasks and due dates. With your assistance, she can plan a balanced schedule and workload.Set Up a Specific Work AreaIt’s important to have an area dedicated to schoolwork! If your child is easily distracted, consider setting up an area in his room that he uses exclusively for studying. If he needs the accountability of working around other people, set up his study area in a common area of the house, even if it’s just the dining room table.Short-Circuit DistractionsWhen your child is working on a project or homework, limit her access to the phone, tablet, television, and other forms of entertainment. Help her set up online programs that block access to social media or gaming sites. Explain that doing so isn’t a punishment, and even adults have to set up healthy boundaries to resist temptations. You can set up the blocks for specific periods of time to minimize access while she’s studying and give her more freedom when she’s reached her goals for the day. Try to let her set her own limits, but guide her in the right direction when necessary.The sooner you start the fight against procrastination, the easier it is to set your children up for success!At our Polk County private schools, we foster an atmosphere of care and an environment of high expectations and effective discipline. To learn more about what makes us different, contact us at 407-246-4800.