Time to start thinking about back-to-school skills and routines.
Submitted by Michelle Gobert Positive Youth Development Educator
The beginning of each school year is an opportunity to develop and expand upon your child’s organizational and routine building skills. These skills, known as executive functioning skills, are the skills we use every day to get things accomplished. These skills help students plan, organize tasks, control emotions and impulsivity, and learn from past mistakes.
It’s important to note that while these skills seem basic to some, to others, especially those with varying degrees of attention, these skills need to be learned and repeated in order to be effective. Remember, each child, and each child’s brain learns and uses these executive function skills differently.
According to the Child Mind Institute, there are a few things children, and their parents, can do to build and improve upon executive function skills.
Create Checklists
Checklists help youth define the steps necessary to complete a task clearly. They may also help to make the task less daunting and more achievable. Following a checklist minimizes the mental and emotional strain when trying to make a decision.
Checklists can be made for just about any task, including how to get out of the house on time each morning, to how to get materials ready for the next day of learning. Parents can identify when and what checklists are needed by evaluating their own reactions to daily stresses. Chances are if you often repeat the same instructions on a daily basis, with varying degrees of frustration, a checklist may help.
Set Time Limits
Often times youth with varying degrees of attention, need help understanding the concept of time in relation to the tasks at hand. Youth may not understand the time needed to complete various tasks within a checklist, nor how long it takes to complete a bedtime routine. Imposing time limits does not need to be stressful. By being creative, parents can set time limits and create challenges to complete a task. Making a game, or challenge, of a boring task takes some forethought, but reduces daily stress on both parent and child.
Use a planner
Many schools now understand the benefits of planning and encourage the use of student planners. However, not all children understand how to use a planner. Children with varying degrees of attention and time management may write their homework assignments in the planner but fail to understand the steps needed to complete the homework task. Again, creativity can go a long way in making the use of a planner effective. Stickers, highlighters and colored pens can turn the planning process into a daily creative outlet. Children who struggle with handwriting or small motor skill development, may benefit from the use of a planning app. Common Sense Media, a website devoted to providing technological skills to parents, provides a list of their favorite time management apps at https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/top-time-management-apps.
Establish a routine
Routines are essential for developing the executive function skills youth need to get through the day. Routines offer youth a sense of control and understanding of what comes next. This is especially helpful for youth that may have a difficult time controlling other aspects of their lives, including the uncertainty related to the COVID pandemic. Completing a task at the same time, on the same day may help alleviate anxiety related to adopting new norms including wearing a face covering and/or attending virtual classes. Remember, it’s been six months since our youth have been in-school or engaged in a school-day routine. Now is a great time to re-introduce a bedtime routine that involves non-screen time, a good book and a reassurance that tomorrow is going to be a great day.
For more information on parenting topics, please visit UW-Madison Division of Extension website at https://parenting.extension.wisc.edu . Contact Forest County Extension at 715-478-7797 or visit online at https://forest.extension.wisc.edu
