Busy and hectic are just two of the words that can describe a day in a Kumon student’s life. Your child usually starts his day by going to school with some extracurricular and afterschool activities (including Kumon) in the afternoon. He then spends some time with friends and family before he eventually ends the day by doing homework and completing house chores.
Yes, your child may feel too much pressure from this everyday routine. He may even get overwhelmed, stressed, and tired from trying to get everything done. Also, there may even be times when he has trouble maintaining a balanced schedule.
As parents, you make it a point to always be there for your child as his number one cheerleader, supporter, and motivator. Here are four easy tips that you can share with your child to help him attain and maintain balance in school, Kumon and fun.
Keep an Updated Schedule
Knowing what needs to be done for a certain week or day is the first step to creating a sense of balance in your child’s everyday routine. Allow him to make use of a planner, a table-sized calendar or a do-it-yourself schedule tracker. Advise him to update the schedule at the end of the day, at the end of the week, or as needed. This gives him an idea of how he should distribute his time, what he needs to prioritize, and when he can add in some rest and relaxation.
Work Ahead
Procrastination is your child’s worst enemy. Not doing work when needed leads to a growing list of to-dos with a little amount of time. Once your child sees this growing pile, his motivation and confidence may dampen as finishing the entire pile seems close to impossible. Getting things done ahead of time allows your child to reduce the stress of beating deadlines and lessen the pressure of creating quality work. Also, it allows him to thoroughly prepare and make adjustments when needed.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Getting enough sleep is actually one the things your child may seldom do due to his schedule. Experts have mentioned a lot about the benefits of getting more sleep, specifically how it maintains a strong immune system and improves productivity. Inform your child of how sleeping can reduce stress and increase clear thinking. Encourage him to sleep when he is too tired since a tired body and brain leads to more mistakes and less quality work.
Make Time for the Self
Taking a moment to relax and recharge is important for your child. This allows him to reward himself after a grueling yet successful day and to clear his head of the stress and pressure. Make it a point to schedule a day for your child to spend time with friends and family, or a day that he can do what he wants to do. Giving him time away from his everyday routine allows him to regain his confidence, rebuild his motivation and improve his thought process.
