Is Your Teen Stressed? Teach Them How to Manage Their Time, Schoolwork, and Leisure Activities

I hear from many parents that their child is stressed out with schoolwork, tests, finals, finding time to study, and extracurricular activities.

I know I mentioned in our previous Organewz issue that I would talk about filing systems, but I feel that I must talk to you about assisting teens and preventing stress overload in our children.

I do not like seeing overstressed children and teenagers. Stress takes a dangerous toll on us-we must prevent it early on.

Sit down with your child and do these three things:

1. Pick out a paper or electronic planner for them to record their appointments, assignments, and to-dos. I like using a paper planner in conjunction WITH something electronic to record all phone numbers, addresses and set appointments.

2. Talk about your child's priorities and map them out. What are your child's priorities? Typical student priorities are academics, family life, after-school activities, friends, relaxing, religion, pets, etc.

Have them rate their priorities according to level of importance. Then track the time they've been spending on things. For example, does the amount of time spent on schoolwork reflect the number 3 that your child gave it?

Draw a schedule with your child. Put the days of the week on top and the time of the day on the left hand side. Draw squares for the chunks of time that are occupied currently. Much of the time will be "school". Include squares for travel to and from school time, wake-up and dress, snack time, and after-school activities.

Once you draw it all out, you can see how much time is left. Having this visual really helps to see when is the best time to sign up for another class or hang out with friends.

3. W.A.D.E. through tasks (Morgenstern)

Sort through the piles of to-dos

Write it down-write down the task at hand. A test, a paper due date, a dance rehearsal. Get it in your planner.

Add it Up-Estimate how long it will take. A dance rehearsal that is an hour really can be an hour 1/2 when you include travel time. Overestimate.

Here's an example-A final exam in 12 weeks requring 200 pages of reading. If you read 20 pages a week for 2 hours, you can get it done with 2 days of review time.

Decide when to do the task based on your time map.

Execute- Do it. Reward yourself. Take babysteps and start the project. Work in 30 minute increments. Silence your inner perfectionist!

It is my hope that with these tips and recommended resources for teens time management, you can help de-stress your child and provide them with the skills they need when homework overload hits!

Rebekah Slatkin is a professional organizer with a website dedicated to getting you organized. Go to http://www.best-organizing-products-supers tore.com and read helpful organizing product reviews and her ezine.

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Google News Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:08:19 GMT Venezuela flies aid to storm-ravaged Haiti - International Herald Tribune CBC.ca Venezuela flies aid to storm-ravaged Haiti International Herald Tribune - 1 hour ago AP CARACAS, Venezuela: Venezuela is sending Haiti 20 tons (18 metric tons) of food and relief supplies as Hurricane Ike drenches the flood-ravaged nation. Video: Haitians Flee Gonaives Before Ike Reaches Island AssociatedPress Hurricane Ike hampers relief effort in Haiti guardian.co.uk WJACtv.com - Washington Post - BBC News - AFP all 3,525 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:41:27 GMT Patriots’ Tom Brady Injured - New York Times Washington Post Patriots’ Tom Brady Injured New York Times - 2 hours ago By LYNN ZINSER FOXBORO, Mass - If the New England Patriots were still smarting from their improbable Super Bowl loss to the Giants to end last season, their pain got even deeper in their season opener against Kansas City on Sunday afternoon when ... Tom Brady knocked out of game Boston Herald Patriots QB Brady out of opener vs. Chiefs The Associated Press Washington Post - Kansas City Star - Patriots Insider - Boston Globe all 1,066 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:58:10 GMT A bit of Federer humor - San Francisco Chronicle San Diego Union Tribune A bit of Federer humor San Francisco Chronicle - 1 hour ago Roger Federer seems to be enjoying himself more at this tournament than any US Open or Wimbledon I can recall (which is about all I can speak for, since I don't cover the year-long tour). Video: Federer Beats Djokovic to Reach US Open Final AssociatedPress Roger Federer storms into US Open final Los Angeles Times New York Times - Washington Post - Detroit Free Press - New York Daily News all 4,021 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:11:36 GMT Paulson Engineers US Takeover of Fannie, Freddie (Update2) - Bloomberg Voice of America Paulson Engineers US Takeover of Fannie, Freddie (Update2) Bloomberg - 3 hours ago By Rebecca Christie and Dawn Kopecki Sept. 7 (Bloomberg) -- The US government seized control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac after the biggest surge in mortgage defaults in at least three decades threatened to topple the companies making up almost half ... Video: Feds Take Over Mortgage Giants AssociatedPress A Tangled Web With Many Raveled Threads New York Times MarketWatch - International Herald Tribune - Forbes - Reuters all 3,678 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:08:03 GMT Zardari’s stress on progress - Hindu BBC News Zardari’s stress on progress Hindu - 43 minutes ago ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Election Commission on Sunday formally notified Asif Ali Zardari as the winner of the presidential elections, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader is to be sworn into office on Tuesday. Suicide blast kills 35 in Pakistan; Zardari set to take power International Herald Tribune Pakistan's Zardari prepares for presidency AFP Reuters - Xinhua - Los Angeles Times - Washington Post all 3,949 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:25:18 GMT FDA to List Drugs Being Investigated - Washington Post ABC News FDA to List Drugs Being Investigated Washington Post - Sep 5, 2008 By David Brown The Food and Drug Administration will begin posting every three months a list of drugs whose safety is under investigation because of complaints brought to the agency's attention by drug companies, physicians and patients. The Basics on the Foodfight Over Irradiation U.S. News & World Report 20 Drugs FDA Is Watching WebMD Wall Street Journal - Los Angeles Times - CNNMoney.com - The Associated Press all 553 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:19:40 GMT 'Bangkok' Not-So Dangerous - E! Online E! Online 'Bangkok' Not-So Dangerous E! Online - 1 hour ago After a $4 billion-grossing summer, Hollywood slogged through its worst weekend of the year, per studio estimates compiled today by Exhibitor Relations. Fall box office off to slow start Variety Cage's 'Bangkok' tops worst movie weekend since 2001 USA Today New York Times - Los Angeles Times - Hollywood Today Newsmagazine - Reuters all 297 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:29:12 GMT Clickbank Content Work From Home

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