How to Manage Children's Time

Children are curious by nature. If they are not kept busy, they will be trouble prone. Idling away may lead to disastrous consequences in the future. So children need to be kept busy or monitored. Here are some ways by which you can manage your childs time.Sitting in the office, it is always a good feeling to know exactly what your child is doing. Knowing that he is in some class, painting, skating or learning some new skill, is reassuring to us. We presume that all is well. In this articleIs it Ok to Keep Children Busy in Classes?How to Choose Classes for Children?Can Putting Child in a Tuition Class Be the Right Choice for Working Mothers?The Disadvantages of Tuition ClassesIs it Ok to Keep Children Busy in Classes?There are children who enjoy classes and children who do not. Then there are children who like only some of the classes they go to. There are children learning the piano only because their mother would have liked to learn how to play it, but does not have the time. And there are those sweet little children who go to class after class without thinking about whether they enjoy them or not, they have simply become accustomed to going there.Filling up every moment of every day with things to do is probably too much of a good thing. Today, we have parents who want to expose their children to all things at once. In addition, there are so many things to get exposed to! So we have children who will go to music, dance, chess, swimming and karate classes every week.We must understand that children too (in fact, children especially) need the time to stand and stare, the time to smell the roses, the freedom to "get bored" and then do something about it. Kids must also learn to keep themselves occupied. You could help them. For instance, instead of a craft class, you could get him a craft kit. This way, (with adult supervision whenever necessary), he can cut, paste, mould and experiment with the different materials as he pleases. No rush to begin, no bell ringing to finish.How to Choose Classes for Children?In choosing classes for your child, try to find the activities that he enjoys. Do not force an artist into a sport because you think he needs to lose weight. You might actually end up by putting him off that sport. Aim to fill in those free hours before you arrive home, such that he spends them with those he wants to be around, doing what he likes best, be it playing with friends or visits by grandmother.Also remember, classes require you to arrive and leave on time and it is probably stressful for your child to rush around, already living by the clock. You might attempt to reduce this stress by scheduling some of his classes at home.Try to rationalise which classes he goes to. Today, the pressure to excel is huge. Kids are learning things earlier and earlier. It is not unusual to see a three year old at a skating class. By the age of 7, children are already doing well in competitions! Are you therefore putting pressure on your child to do well in any activity? Or have you enrolled your child into all these classes because you want him to find his niche, something he likes after being exposed to everything...well, almost.The best way to ease the pressure is not to expect too much. Do not push too much either. If he is learning how to swim, do not expect him to be a champ. If he is not enjoying it, do not push him to learn the different strokes. He WILL get through life without knowing the butterfly! Similarly, he does not need to create a masterpiece every time he picks up a paint brush. You know if it is getting too much for him if he resists going to any class, or if he cries, has headaches or otherwise shows any lack of interest. You must, in such situations, let him decide which classes he would like to drop.Can Putting Child in a Tuition Class Be the Right Choice for Working Mothers?It is a good idea to sit down with your son and discuss the drop in his grades. It is possible that the pressure to study has increased, as compared to his earlier years. It could be that he is distracted in class and is no longer paying attention. (If this is so, he may benefit simply from a change in where he sits in class.) It could also be that he is no longer interested in what is being taught or dislikes the teacher or that something is bothering him.Examine whether his grades have dropped only slightly and whether you are being the pushy mother, expecting an A every time. It is true that revision at home almost always helps grades improve in school. Try and get him to put some work in every evening on his own. You can sit with him on weekends or other days when you have time. If however, it is a lot of work he needs to put in, you may find a tuition teacher is the answer. The positives of going in for tuitions are that revision becomes regular and unpleasant homework is finished before you get home, enabling the time you spend with your son to be more fun.The Disadvantages of Tuition ClassesThe downsides to tuitions are these.The classes are fixed so you lose flexibility. He must sit down with the work even when he is playing or doing something else.They tend to continue all through his school life, even when they are actually not needed any more. They become a habit.He must remember what he has not understood in class and learn it during his next tuition. It is more effective that such learning happen as soon as possible, definitely on the same day.It takes up time that todays busy kids can use for other things. Homework days and the fixed class may not coincide.There is no harm in going for those extra tuitions provided that they suit your purpose well and you monitor them for their efficacy.There are lot of challenges which working mothers face while keeping children busy. These tips for keeping children busy will help you a great extent. Good luck!

Sitting in the office, it is always a good feeling to know exactly what your child is doing. Knowing that he is in some class, painting, skating or learning some new skill, is reassuring to us. We presume that all is well.

Is it Ok to Keep Children Busy in Classes?

There are children who enjoy classes and children who do not. Then there are children who like only some of the classes they go to. There are children learning the piano only because their mother would have liked to learn how to play it, but does not have the time. And there are those sweet little children who go to class after class without thinking about whether they enjoy them or not, they have simply become accustomed to going there.

Filling up every moment of every day with things to do is probably too much of a good thing. Today, we have parents who want to expose their children to all things at once. In addition, there are so many things to get exposed to! So we have children who will go to music, dance, chess, swimming and karate classes every week.

We must understand that children too (in fact, children especially) need the time to stand and stare, the time to smell the roses, the freedom to "get bored" and then do something about it. Kids must also learn to keep themselves occupied. You could help them. For instance, instead of a craft class, you could get him a craft kit. This way, (with adult supervision whenever necessary), he can cut, paste, mould and experiment with the different materials as he pleases. No rush to begin, no bell ringing to finish.

How to Choose Classes for Children?

In choosing classes for your child, try to find the activities that he enjoys. Do not force an artist into a sport because you think he needs to lose weight. You might actually end up by putting him off that sport. Aim to fill in those free hours before you arrive home, such that he spends them with those he wants to be around, doing what he likes best, be it playing with friends or visits by grandmother.

Also remember, classes require you to arrive and leave on time and it is probably stressful for your child to rush around, already living by the clock. You might attempt to reduce this stress by scheduling some of his classes at home.

Try to rationalise which classes he goes to. Today, the pressure to excel is huge. Kids are learning things earlier and earlier. It is not unusual to see a three year old at a skating class. By the age of 7, children are already doing well in competitions! Are you therefore putting pressure on your child to do well in any activity? Or have you enrolled your child into all these classes because you want him to find his niche, something he likes after being exposed to everything...well, almost.

The best way to ease the pressure is not to expect too much. Do not push too much either. If he is learning how to swim, do not expect him to be a champ. If he is not enjoying it, do not push him to learn the different strokes. He WILL get through life without knowing the butterfly! Similarly, he does not need to create a masterpiece every time he picks up a paint brush. You know if it is getting too much for him if he resists going to any class, or if he cries, has headaches or otherwise shows any lack of interest. You must, in such situations, let him decide which classes he would like to drop.

Can Putting Child in a Tuition Class Be the Right Choice for Working Mothers?

It is a good idea to sit down with your son and discuss the drop in his grades. It is possible that the pressure to study has increased, as compared to his earlier years. It could be that he is distracted in class and is no longer paying attention. (If this is so, he may benefit simply from a change in where he sits in class.) It could also be that he is no longer interested in what is being taught or dislikes the teacher or that something is bothering him.

Examine whether his grades have dropped only slightly and whether you are being the pushy mother, expecting an 'A' every time. It is true that revision at home almost always helps grades improve in school. Try and get him to put some work in every evening on his own. You can sit with him on weekends or other days when you have time. If however, it is a lot of work he needs to put in, you may find a tuition teacher is the answer. The positives of going in for tuitions are that revision becomes regular and unpleasant homework is finished before you get home, enabling the time you spend with your son to be more fun.

The Disadvantages of Tuition Classes

The downsides to tuitions are these.

The classes are fixed so you lose flexibility. He must sit down with the work even when he is playing or doing something else.
They tend to continue all through his school life, even when they are actually not needed any more. They become a habit.
He must remember what he has not understood in class and learn it during his next tuition. It is more effective that such learning happen as soon as possible, definitely on the same day.
It takes up time that today's busy kids can use for other things. Homework days and the fixed class may not coincide.
There is no harm in going for those extra tuitions provided that they suit your purpose well and you monitor them for their efficacy.

There are lot of challenges which working mothers face while keeping children busy. These tips for keeping children busy will help you a great extent. Good luck!