Procrastination is a trait that is predominant in children and teenagers and it has caused nightmares for parents and teachers. The issue of children procrastination is so serious that Tim Pychyl, a research psychologist had to conduct an independent research on his children to understand the phenomenon of children procrastination. Furthermore, research by psychologists has shown that 25% to 75% of college students procrastinate on their academic work.
There are several reasons why human beings, and children in particular, procrastinate. Pychyl stated that one reason is; like adults, children feel better putting things off to do later. However, unlike adults, they do not see the bigger picture. Other reasons include lack of confidence which causes children to stall, overestimation of the time they have left, boredom, wrong placement of priorities and even the overestimation of abilities. As you’re reading this, you can probably remember several times when you put off things to the very last minute because of some of the reasons stated above.
Procrastination, however, has a lot of negative effects on children, ranging from poor grades, terrible work ethics, and lack of composure all the way to punishments and disappointments. It is therefore important for you as a parent, guardian or teacher to help the kids around you overcome the dangerous action of procrastination. Here are some tips that cannot fail you:
1. Show them that it’s not as challenging as it seems
One reason why kids shy away from doing their work and chores at home is that their mind tells them it’s forever or that it’s impossibly challenging. To get them to stop believing this, you need to show them that it’s not as challenging as it seems. Pychyl gave a perfect illustration of this in his study with his kids. His 8-year old son was putting off the task of making his bed, and so he did it for the boy, while making the boy to monitor time. It took only 6 seconds for him to complete the task.
This helped to change the boy’s mindset that it will take forever to make his bed. He now knows he needs to dedicate only 6 seconds to the task. This simple illustration eliminated procrastination in bed-making for the boy.
2. Ask questions
A lot of people underestimate the power of conversation in solving problems. In order to be able to help your kids out of the habit of procrastination, it is essential that you understand what is going through their minds when they procrastinate. Ask questions like; what standards have you set for yourself? What do you think are our expectations? What is the problem with your college paper writing? This will help you determine the appropriate actions to take in helping them.
3. Help your children see the consequences
Many times, children procrastinate because they cannot see the big picture or because they cannot see past today. Help your students see the effect of waiting until the last minute to do their assignments and how it will make them unstable and uncoordinated. As a parent, you can help your daughter see why arranging her room today will make it easier than doing it tomorrow when there is more to do. This helps children write their essays on time and clean their rooms immediately.
4. Help them get started
Your kids could get overwhelmed by the volume of work they have to do, the effect of this is that they don’t know how and where to start from. To keep them from putting off things, teach and help them to get started. Teach them to start from the beginning rather than worry about the end. Teach them to immediately take the first step instead of worrying about the whole journey.
5. Reward and compliment
All kids want the approval and compliment of their parents. Several times, you punish your kids for failing to do a task but you don’t do anything when they do it right. To help your kids develop the habit of tackling tasks and challenges immediately, reward them whenever they do so. You can give them a compliment or an actual gift or treat for finishing their homework on time or cleaning the room without prompting. A research article by Uk.bestessays.com shows that children always love immediate rewards for work.
6. Encourage decision-making
One way to help children overcome procrastination is to make them feel in charge of tasks and chores. Provide your kids with a structured opportunity to make decisions and watch them reduce procrastination. For example, you can allow your son to choose what range of time he will get the room done. You can allow him to choose any time before 10 am. This makes him feel in charge and ensure that he doesn’t procrastinate the work past 10 am.
7. Help them take practical steps
Like all things, taking practical steps helps you to avoid procrastination. Here is a list of some very practical things your child can do to overcome procrastination, as recommended by Pro Essay Writing.
- Set a timetable or schedule.
- Set a deadline.
- Invest in a planner or a calendar app.
- Have an accountability partner.
- Personal rewards.
- Use a timer to avoid burnouts.
- Take a break.
Procrastination is a serious challenge for every child and perhaps every human being. As a parent, you can help your kid to overcome procrastination permanently from a very young age. These tips are a great way to achieve this victory.
Whether your child is in kindergarten or college, these tips can make studying easier to tolerate— and more effective.