We all have the same amount of time on our hands - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. For most people, 24 hours are just not enough to finish their tasks and meet their goals.
However, if you look at highly successful people, you’ll notice that they accomplish whatever goals they set up for themselves without breaking a sweat. They are exceptional at their jobs, but that’s not what they do all the time. They travel, make new friends, learn new things, stay fit, and still have time for their families.
How do they do it? By simply mastering the art of being productive. In the simplest term, productivity is about efficiently completing more tasks in less time, using fewer resources. If you want to raise a smart kid, you need to help them learn this 21st-century skill.
In this article, we will take you through a few activities you can use to help your child learn productivity skills.
Parenting Practices to Teach Productivity Skills to Your Kids
If you want your child to become a successful adult, follow these good parenting practices that will positively influence your child to learn productivity skills:
1. Create a Timetable Every Morning
Work with your child to create a timetable of things they need to do on their own throughout the day. Focus on their school routine and set aside time for homework, study, relaxation, physical activities and leisure. Creating a timetable will teach your child the importance of time and how to manage it well.
2. Keep Asking “What’s Next?”
Next, help your child organise their time to do the tasks mentioned in the timetable. Break down the to-do list into different priority levels to help them understand which task they should do first and what to tackle next.
Teach them to break down a complex task into simpler steps to complete it easily. Encourage your child to answer the question “what’s next?” This will help them form a habit of prioritising steps to solve a problem while being productive.
3. Help Them Memorise Their Thoughts
If your child finds it difficult to capture their ideas and thoughts, you can help them by teaching them to simply write them out on paper. Ask them to carry a small notepad in their pocket at all times – this will help them note down their thoughts and ideas immediately, refer to them when needed, and memorise them.
4. Experiment With Different Approaches
If you’re trying to teach your child something, and if they just can’t follow you, change your approach. Teach them to focus on a single task and ask them to find different ways of completing it. By doing this, you are boosting your child’s creativity and also their concentration.
5. Engage Them in Physical Activities at Home
Arrange physical activities to keep your child active and productive. Devote at least 10 minutes per activity per day. The physical activities for kids can include skipping ropes, running and jumping.
6. Assign Chores
When you assign age-appropriate chores to your child, you teach them to be responsible. Assign simple tasks like setting the table, putting the dishes in the sink, etc. In the beginning, you might have to constantly remind your child to do the chores, but as they age and form a habit, they’ll require fewer reminders. However, make sure that you don’t nag your child to do the chores; otherwise, they are less likely to take up the responsibility. Instead, let them know the consequences of not doing their chores on time.
7. Play Gamified Educational Games
Gamification is a fun way to teach productivity to your child. Search for games to improve vocabulary and encourage children to use their analytical knowledge and problem-solving skills. Gamified educational games like quizzes and math puzzles use technology to make them fun and educational while igniting a sense of productivity in them.
8. Motivate Your Child With Rewards
Reward your child for a job done well. Provide an allowance for completing their chores on time. Also, teach them to be responsible with money by creating rules on how much they can spend and how much they need to save.
9. Be Their Role Model
Nothing can teach them productivity better than observing and imitating your behaviour. So, put your best foot forward and be their role model. Show them how you plan, manage and handle your tasks efficiently in a timely manner. Soon they’ll start picking up your techniques and applying them to their tasks.
As a parent, you need to teach your child the art of achieving stress-free productivity early on. PlanetSpark can help you in this endeavour. When you enrol your child with us, we help them develop all the necessary 21st-century skills, including creativity, communication, innovation, self-awareness, imagination skills, empathy, concentration, public speaking, collaboration, active listening, teamwork, and many more!
Enrol Your kid in PlanetSpark to master all the 21st-century skills! Book a free trial now!
