Keep this in mind: Your child must learn to budget the time allocated for long-range projects. Procrastination is a bad habit and one that can last a lifetime. By learning to manage his or her time and projects, your child will develop the skills that will make it easier to tackle larger tasks as he or she grows up.
If your child puts off starting a long-range assignment until just before it is due, it can put stress o the entire family. Typically, this child waits until the last minute and then goes into a frenzy, demanding your immediate help. To solve this problem, you must take steps to teach your child about long-range planning.
- Tell your child that you expect long-range projects to be planned and completed responsibly.
Explain to your child that you will not allow him or her to put off a long-range project until the last minute. “I expect you to plan your project (term paper, science project, etc.) responsibly. This waiting until the last minute must stop.”
- Ask the teacher for a Long-Range Planner.
Ask your child’s teacher to give your child a Long-Range Planner. This planning sheet will help your child divide a large project into smaller, more easily completed tasks and will allow your child to distribute the work evenly over the time allotted for the project. Insist that your child give you a detailed description of every long-range project. Then help your child use the planner to decide when each step of the project is to be completed.
- Give your child praise and support as each step of the project is completed.
Each time your child completes a step of the long-range project, show your approval with encouraging words such as, “This final draft is well written. Just one more step and the project will be complete. Excellent work.”
- Provide additional motivation when appropriate.
If your child needs additional motivation to stay on schedule during a long-range project, institute a system that allows him or her to earn a point toward a reward or privilege each time a step is completed according to the schedule.
- Back up your words with action.
If the first four steps on this sheet fail to motivate your child to follow a long-range planning schedule, it’s time to impose restrictions. For example, if your child has been assigned a book report, you may choose to follow this course of action. If your child fails to choose a book during the allotted time, take away a privilege (watching TV, phoning friends) until the book is chosen. If your child does not read the book by an agreed-upon date, impose other restrictions (loss of video-gaming privileges, no music). Unless you set limits, your child is not going to believe that you mean business.
From “Teaching Responsible Homework Habits” by Lee Canter & Associates
