Priority – Time management
My child only interested in playing when he comes home from school. He will do his homework last minute and do not have enough time to finish. How can busy working parents help?
Time management and prioritising are probably 2 key areas children find difficult, or challenging to handle. When left on their own to figure out, our children tend to get lost. It is therefore necessary for parents to work with thier child, to help him learn how to manage his time, and to prioritise his homework.
In guiding the child through these issues, it is important for parents to have a discussion with their child on when is the best time to study. For example, when does the child feel more alert and energetic? Is it before dinner, or after dinner? Thereafter, work with the child to choose a designated place to study, to develop consistency.
Once the time and study area have been identified, parents need to help the child through in the next step, which is to prioritise his homework. Which homework should he complete first? Should he start off with English comprehension, something he enjoys doing in comparison, or Math problem sums (a subject he does not really fancy)?
In prioritising homework, parents got to be mindful of the time and duration when the child’s mind is still fresh and alert. Naturally, most children will immediately dive into the subject they enjoy first (in this example, comprehension) and by the time they complete it, they would have become physically and mentally tired. Nevertheless he is now faced the challenge to complete his Math problem sums – something which he dreaded. It is therefore, very likely for the child not completing his Math homework.
So when it is a matter of prioiritising homework, parents should encourage their child to start off with the subject which he finds most challenging first, when his mind is fresh and alert, so that the challenge to complete does not seem overwhelming. Upon completing the more challenging homework, he can take a short break and move on to something which he enjoys doing (in this example, comprehension), before he is done for the day.





I believe in a child-centered, whole language approach to children’s development.
To create an atmosphere and framework where each child can open up and express themselves, confident that their every contribution will be acknowledged, appreciated and valued.