- 1). Calculate how much time your children have when they get home from school. If they arrive home at 3:30 p.m. and go to bed at 8:30, that leaves them five hours to complete their activities each day.
- 2). List the individual extra-curricular activities your child participates in, what days of the week they meet and how long they meet for. Include any travel time necessary to get back and forth from the activity’s venue. Calculate the amount of time needed each day for at-home activities, including homework, dinner, getting things ready for the next day and preparing for bedtime.
- 3). Add the amount of time needed for outside extra-curricular activities to the time needed for in-home tasks. If the total time is greater on any given day than the amount of time your children have available to them, you must either eliminate an activity, cut back on the amount of time you can allocate for that activity or move some activities to a different day during the week.
- 4). Create a schedule for your children. Start with activities that have a set beginning and ending time, such as after-school care, team sports or school club meetings.
- 5). Schedule time each day for homework. Educators at the University of Minnesota Extension recommend setting aside a specific time and place for your children to complete their homework. This can be at the kitchen table while enjoying an after-school snack, during the time they are in after-school care or immediately after dinner in their rooms.
- 6). Allocate time for dinner as well as pre-bedtime activities and add them to the schedule. Arrange the time as best you can to ensure that your family eats dinner together at least a few times per week.
- 7). Assess the completed schedule, paying specific attention to how much free time your children have. If the free time is significant, consider getting them involved in a school, athletic or community organization a few days each week.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -