5 tips for a balanced school schedule

Learning to manage a busy schedule is one of the biggest lessons during this time... And it's very easy to feel overwhelmed by the changes that come with the transition from elementary to high school. In addition, an overly busy schedule can have negative impacts on well-being, energy levels, ability to concentrate, mood, morale, and academic performance.

How can we teach our children to manage their time and schedule on their own, so that they can maintain a balance between the different aspects of their lives (school, family, friends, and free time)? Here are some ideas to help alleviate the sens of not having enough time. 

1- Balance the schedule

In our desire to ensure that our children are sufficiently stimulated in the various areas of their development, we often commit to multiple activities, sometimes to the detriment of our child's well-being. For some young people, extracurricular activities can be overwhelming, especially if they feel pressure to perform.

According to psychotherapist and social worker Claire Leduc, it is important to ensure that activities do not interfere with other areas of our child's life. “Our child must first and foremost master their schooling, and therefore have the necessary time to do their homework. Then, the activity must be fun for them,” she explains.

If your teen doesn't seem to be having fun and feels tired all the time, it may be time to re-evaluate why we are trying to keep him busy. In other words, are these activities for them or for us? In conversation with your child, we can start by making choices:

• Which activities are essential to their well-being?
• Which activities come second, third, or even further down our list?
• What do we keep and what do we remove from the schedule?

Prioritizing only one activity per season allows us to devote ourselves fully to it and to avoid becoming discouraged.

2- Define priorities

Daily life is filled with things to do: tasks, obligations, distractions, emergencies to manage. How can we ensure that we can devote more time to the things that are most useful and important to us? Making a priority list can really help. ChallengeU is a platform that suggests an order to follow to rank your tasks and activities:

1. Fixed obligations that take priority, such as school, work, and meetings
2. Things that are important but not at fixed times, such as study periods
3. What needs to be done in the near future, such as simple tasks that require little time
4. What is not important, not a priority and not urgent

Before jumping in and saying yes automatically, we need to consider if the activity is truly meaningful to us. It's not about being busy all the time: it's about doing the things that bring positive results and benefits to you and your family.

An agenda planner is a great tool for getting organized and ensuring that you don't forget anything, but it's important to use it properly.

3- Teach our child to be organized

One of our roles as parents is to help our teenager get organized, since organization is the basis for more effective schedule management. With your help, your teen will be able to set guidelines for themselves and stick to them. An agenda planner is a great tool for getting organized and ensuring that you don't forget anything, but it's important to use it properly. Here are a few tips to help your teen manage their agenda effectively:

Things to write in the agenda

Teens need to learn how to manage their time so they don't forget anything and have a clear sense of what needs to be done. With their agenda, your teen will have an overview of upcoming activities. Alloprof suggests including the following items:

• Homework and lessons
• Assignments to be handed in
• Tests and exams
• Appointments (doctor, dentist, etc.)
• Extracurricular activities
• Sports practices
• Detention or suspension periods
• Social events, outings, etc.

Occasionally, you may want to check your teen's planner to make sure it is being a helpful tool, and give them a few tips, such as:

• Use color coding to easily distinguish exams, study, homework, projects, etc. 
• Write down “no homework” rather than leaving it blank, to avoid forgetting anything
• Indicate a time allotted for each assignment next to each task
• Allocate longer time periods for study and for completing longer assignments. 

4- Raising awareness about attention management

Attention management is an effective way to keep people focused on important tasks while avoiding distractions. For most young people, the key issue is resisting the lure of tech devices and social networks. Together with your teen, identify time-consuming distractions that are not necessarily relevant to their well-being (Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, video games) and agree on a way to limit these distractions. 

This could include turning off their phone from time to time and learning to use the “Do Not Disturb” feature. It is also possible to install applications that block access to distracting websites.Turning off these distractions can help us manage schedules more efficiently and reduce stress. It helps us save time which can be used to enjoy the important moments.

5- Preserve free time

Free time is essential for well-being and mental health. It allows your teen to get to know themselves better, develop initiative and, pursue their favourite hobbies.

After all, don't forget... it's okay to do nothing sometimes, too!

References (in French)

Noovo moi, 7 trucs pour des enfants moins occupés (et stressés!)
Noovo moi, Activités parascolaires : oui, mais sans abus!
Véro, Hyperéducation : surchargeons-nous trop l'horaire de nos enfants?
Allorprof parents, Planifier ses devoirs au secondaire
Allorprof parents, Aider son enfant à bien utiliser son agenda scolaire
ChallengeU : 5 trucs simples pour améliorer ta gestion du temps
Revue gestion HEC Montréal, Gestion du temps à l'ère 4.0 : prendre une pause pour renouveler son rapport à la performance
Temps action, Utilisez-vous les 5 fondamentaux d’une bonne gestion du temps ?
Kaleido, L’horaire de nos enfants est-il trop chargé?
Parcours du loup blanc, Concentration chez les adolescents : comment les aider ?