The Executive Functions of Time Management

Can you identify with one or more of the following scenarios?

1. It's Thursday night and you're helping Sam put away his books in his backpack for tomorrow.  As he's about to zipper up the backpack he says, "I think Mrs. James said something about our Social Studies project being due tomorrow." What the heck?  This is the first time you've heard of this project.  
2. It's Monday after school and Ashley is pulling out her agenda from her backpack and hands you a crumpled piece of paper.  She sighs and tells you that it's about her science experiment that is due sometime.  "It's gonna take so long to do this; I'll never be able to do it."
3. Robert has been sitting at his desk for at least 30 minutes; as you drop in to check to see how he's doing, he lets out a heavy sigh and says, "I've got so many assignments.  I'm never going to find the time to do them all."

Do any of these scenarios ring true?  Those who are able to plan effectively can 'see' into the future; they know how to adjust their schedule to make things happen.  The phrase 'the event horizon line' sums this planning up - effective planners can see how much time is between 'now' and 'then'.

But those kids (and adults) who have weak executive function skills for time management and setting priorities, being able to plan is a real issue.  The future doesn't exist.  In fact, for them, there are often only two times - 'Now' and 'Not now'.

How can we support those students?

It's all about calendars - big, print calendars that show us the future.  We need to see it writ large.

Here's how to make 'big' calendars work

Start with the whole year at once.

Use an academic calendar (September to August).

• First step - cross off those dates that are NOT school dates (holidays, March break, vacation, reading week, PA days, and so on).
• In the examples below, the dates have been colour-coded and then identified for each month. (It's an American calendar so not only does school start in August but Thanksgiving is in the 'wrong' spot!)
• Once the holidays, PA days etc. are recorded, add in the school assignments, projects etc. that you know about.  This is going to be an on-going project.
• Update the calendar as the year goes on. 

Close up from Yearly Calendar:

Now break out the monthly calendars.

• To help children appreciate how much 'actual' time they have and do not have, add in those after-school events (soccer practice, Brownies, swimming etc.) and family events.
• Once you have added in those 'inflexible' events, work with your child to fill in the times when he might work on any assignments.
• Cross off the days as they go by (see below for why that works).
• Note that in the monthly calendar example below that subjects have different colour coding and that there are different 'check points' for assignments (i.e., assigned date, mid-way, due date).

Time for the daily TO DO list.

• This is where the app for your device comes in handy.  If you both have devices, you could 'sync' the To Do list so you both have access to it.
• If no devices, use the weekly agenda from school (but keep reading to see why it has its limitations).

Some cautions

• There's a lot going on in what I've just explained.  This is so much more than a one-off session.  Do this in small steps.  You know your child best and how much she can handle at any one time.  Take baby steps.
• This process of making a habit of planning and setting priorities is going to take time.  But just getting out the calendar and crossing off some dates is a huge step.  It's surprising how motivating that seemingly insignificant step can be.
• This is a true 'coaching' activity.  We can't just hand kids the calendar (weekly, yearly, monthly) and expect them to fill it out.  We have to work with them and help them understand the process and why it's going to help them.  It's about starting with them, working with them (sometimes for several weeks), and then gradually backing off but still checking in with them.  This is called 'scaffolding'. Executive functions don't get learned overnight.    

  

  Scaffolding - substitute "parent" for 'teacher'

• As you work with your child to develop these time management executive functions, over time (!) you're going to remove some of the 'scaffolding' - i.e., let them add in their assignments on their own to the calendar (you won't be hovering, but you'll be watching from a distance), and then you won't be reminding them at all (or maybe only occasionally).  But don't put away the scaffolding completely; just put it aside; it might be needed again.
• As you remove some of the scaffolding, you could ask your child how often he would like you to check in with him about how things are going - is it twice a week, once a week?  If those check-in times don't work, make adjustments.  We need to have those small steps be successful. 
• Because this is a coaching activity, it's the kids adding to the calendar.  They have to 'own it'.  But you're there to coach them as to how to do it.
• You could set up your own calendar and model it (as teachers do at school when they are using the scaffolding process).  Think out loud as you add your events to the calendar: Let's see, Thanksgiving is next week (mark that on the calendar); I have to buy the turkey - okay that's going on this date; I have to ask the kids to make some table decorations - that's going on this date.

I'm not convinced

• We  have a school agenda; why can't I just use that?
• Yes, and it's colourful but it's weekly.  It doesn't give you the 'big' picture.  Once you turn the page and move on to the next week, that week is past.  Or you can't see into the next week.  And we need to see that ongoing time.
• If you must use the school agenda, use it as the To Do list for daily check-ups.
• It's going to take too long to set this up.
• Let's assume you have the big yearly calendar and the smaller monthly calendars. Time your child on how long it takes to add the holidays, vacations, etc. and then add the known assignments (remember - when you start, you won't have all the assignments for the whole year).  It really does not take that long and it is sooooo satisfying to see all those non-school days checked off.
• But I have yearly, monthly, weekly, daily calendars on my device.
• Indeed we do, and they can be helpful but those calendars (other than daily) are teeny-weeny.  We need to see more than 'dots' on the monthly calendar.  It's not the BIG picture.

Okay, it's becoming convincing.  Why does it work?

• When we can see the 'big' picture, it doesn't seem as scary anymore.  The big picture shows us the time that we have; it gives us space to plan.  We can see that event horizon, and see exactly how much time there is between 'now' and 'then'.
• In Sam's case (Scenario #1), you're going to need to work with the teacher to find a way for her to communicate with you about what is coming up and what the due dates are.  It's a team effort.
• Some people will say, "But the kids have to learn how to do this themselves."  And in a perfect world maybe that would be true.  But it's not a perfect world and we are not perfect.  We need that scaffolding.  It is not a crutch.  It's a learning strategy. The goal is to get them to doing it themselves.
• For Ashley (Scenario #2) when she uses the calendar, she can see how much time she has; she can see how the 'whole' can be broken down into manageable parts.  It is no longer overwhelming.
• For Robert (Scenario #3) he can now set priorities (with your coaching) about which project should be started first.  Just getting those projects onto the calendar is a huge step forward, even though it looks like such a small baby step!
• Crossing off the days is another great motivator and so important.  We can see the time gap closing between 'now' and 'then'.  The open spaces are shrinking and we can get a really good grasp of time passing.
• When teachers use this strategy of having the kids cross off the dates, they notice that the students worked more on their tasks because they could 'see' that deadline creeping closer.

But what if it's not working or stops working?

• To be quite honest - quite likely that's going to happen.  So when it's working, watch out for when it's not.
• Change it up - get a new calendar, new highlighting colours, smaller steps, more check-ins.
• Ask questions:
• What do you want to work on for improving?
• What was different when it worked?
• What was different when it didn't?
• If a deadline was missed, what can you learn?  What would you do differently next time?
• For younger kids, use stickers for milestones on the calendar when met.
• Plan celebrations - frequently - for all ages.
• Plan a celebration when mistakes happen and we learn from them.
• Plan something big for when something big is completed.

Final thoughts:

The Year calendar is the Motivator; it's not 365 days of school.

The Month calendar is the View - it's manageable.

The Daily is the To Do List, to keep me on track.

Good luck and let me know what works for you!

Thanks to the webinar Developing "Future Thinking": Getting Things Done with Less Stress and Fuss by Marydee Sklar for inspiration and screenschots of calendars.