I’ve been trying to help my kids get better at managing their time, but it’s been a struggle. Someone suggested using positive reinforcement, but I’m not sure how to go about it. Any ideas on how this could work for teaching time management? What kind of rewards or praise might be effective? Looking for practical tips that have worked for other parents.
I hear you about the struggle with time management. When my kids were younger, I tried a bunch of different things before finding what worked. Positive reinforcement definitely helped, but it took some tweaking.
For us, a simple chart on the fridge worked wonders. We’d list out their tasks with times, and they’d get a sticker for completing things on schedule. At the end of the week, those stickers added up to a small reward like picking the weekend movie or an extra half hour of game time.
The key was keeping the rewards attainable and immediate. Big, far-off prizes didn’t motivate them as much as those quick wins. We also made sure to praise the effort, not just the result. “I noticed you started your homework right after school today” went over better than “Good job finishing on time.”
It wasn’t perfect, but over time, we saw real improvement. They started to feel proud of managing their time well, which was its own reward. 
Time management can be tricky, but we’ve had some success with a low-key approach. Our kids have a colorful weekly schedule they helped make. They get to put fun stickers on days they stick to it.
We keep it pretty relaxed - if they finish homework or chores early, they earn a bit of extra screen time or a special snack. Nothing big, just little perks they enjoy.
What’s been really cool is seeing them start to take pride in being on top of things. My older one even reminds the younger one about tasks sometimes.
It’s definitely a work in progress, but focusing on the positives has made a big difference. They’re slowly getting better at planning their time without us having to nag.
We’ve been playing with a ‘time treasure hunt’ game lately. I hide little notes around the house with tasks and times. My kid loves searching for them and trying to beat the clock.
It’s not foolproof, but it’s made time management more fun. Sometimes we swap roles and they hide tasks for me. Seeing me fumble around is a big hit!
Not sure if it’ll work long-term, but for now, it’s cut down on the nagging and made mornings smoother. Always looking for new ideas though - this parenting gig keeps us on our toes!
Time management is tricky with my 5-year-old too. We’ve tried a few things that seem to help a bit. Our morning routine chart has little pictures for each task. My kid gets to put a magnet next to each one when it’s done. It’s simple but it works sometimes.
I’m curious about how other parents handle rewards though. Do you find that giving rewards for time management tasks works long-term? Or do kids start to expect them for everything? I want to encourage good habits but not create dependency on prizes.
What kinds of positive reinforcement do you use that don’t involve material rewards? I’d love to hear some ideas that have worked well for other families with young kids.
We use a simple points system. Kids earn points for completing tasks on time. They can cash in points for small rewards like extra game time.
Found it works better than charts or stickers. The kids enjoy tracking their points and deciding how to use them.
It’s not perfect, but it’s helped them get more aware of time.