Procrastination-Every Parents’ Worse Nightmare
Children seem to at times be master procrastinators. They try to make deals with you, beg
and plead, and if all else fails, cry, so that you will let them put off what they don’t want
to do now for later, and then the same thing happens when you tell them that later has
come and that they have to do the awful, dreaded task now. When it comes to homework
and studying, procrastination can really be a bad habit, and one that can be very
detrimental to your child from an academic standpoint as well. You, as the parent, need to
teach your child the importance of making the most of their time, and that if they go
ahead and get their homework and studying done, sooner rather than later, that they will
have more time for the things that they want to do, and you won’t be yelling at them
about doing their homework. You have to help your child learn to prioritize, and accept
the fact that just because they don’t want to do something doesn’t mean that they can put
it off forever, or that if they put it off long enough, it will just disappear.
Once your child becomes a teenager, they have many things that they want to do, much
more than work on their schoolwork. They may be involved in sports, music, or just like
to spend time with their friends. It is great that they have outside interests, as long as they
know how to handle them appropriately. If your child is old enough to use one, you might
want to consider purchasing a planner each year when you buy school supplies, so that
you child can easily keep track of assignments, due dates, and other important things. By
writing everything down, there will be no room for the old excuses of I forgot, or the
teacher didn’t tell us that.
Make certain that your child knows that you will be keeping in touch with their teachers
to make certain that they are completing their assignments and turning everything in on
time. You may also have to create a rule about homework and grades, something to the
effect of slipping grades mean no more extracurricular activities until the grades improve.
Also, make certain that you don’t over schedule your child. As parents, we want our
children to be involved in sports, dance, cheerleading, etc., but you have to keep it
realistic. If you start to feel overwhelmed by all of the events your child is in each week,
then odds are pretty high that your child is stressed out as well, and it may be time to
eliminate a few activities. Don’t wait for your child to tell you it is too much, as they
often won’t say anything out of fear of disappointing you.
If your child comes home with a big project due for school, make certain that you help
him. You can help him break down the one large project into smaller tasks that can be
completed each day, so that everything gets done on time, and so it doesn’t end up being
a last minute, rushed job that will end up getting a bad grade. You may even want to try
to be completed a few days ahead of schedule, just in case something unexpected comes
up, and your child is unable to work on the project. Let your child know that
procrastinating when it comes to large projects, whether in school or later in their careers,
can set them up to fail, and that it is important that they understand and stay focused on
getting the task completed.
So, it may not be easy to get your child to break the procrastination habit, but it really is
essential, if you want them to be successful academically, and later, professionally.
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Comment by Jeremy M. Berg, Ph.D., Director
