As a parent or guardian, some portion of our day is occupied with tracking school & after-school schedules, hovering over children's every move, hoping nothing missed our radar on what needs attention and handed-in.
It's crucial to walk alongside our kids during their younger years. But most often, we do end up doing things for them.
Instead, if our kids/ students could track and plan most of their chores and responsibility, a lot can get off our plate and reduce stress.
Planning is an age-appropriate skill. And you can start engaging your child with this valuable skill as early as the start of their schooling years. Planning strategies are usually not taught in schools. So this is in-house training.
You may have noticed; kids are eager to plan.
Yes, just like adults, children are capable of planning, and they love the process of planning - especially if it's about things close to their heart.
Let's take few instances.
A visit to a friend's house.
It sparks off many hopes in their heads. The games they would play, the television show they'd watch together, the food they could have.
Their birthday party!
It could still be months away, but they would excitedly talk about the cake they want, the friends they'd invite (may be on zoom), and the games they would play.
(And almost always, even the gifts they would like to get.)
It excites them to plan for their 'special' time or day cos it is valuable to them.
So although kids can engage in planning, they seem least interested in planning their usual daily routine. A contributing factor to this is the lack of a planning framework.
Let me explain.
Children operate well when there is a structure laid out for them.
A day for them is like an unused canvas. They could be everywhere doing their bit as-and-when told to them, waiting for their next command from you. Or they could be aimlessly spending hours on things that add very little value or none at all.
Both cases can leave us hoping if they had done a tad more or we had done some prep for them in order to get things done.
A planner can provide that framework for kids. It introduces planning skills.
It is a skill that can go a long way for our children and well into their adult years.
I have specially designed a 12-month planner to get children interested in learning to write their intentions for the day. It can inspire and motivate a child, to design their upcoming days and week.
It's called I Can & I Will.
(available on Amazon.in, Amazon(international marketplaces), Pothi.com and NotionPress.com)
** You can avail a 40% discount to this planner only at this link
NOTIONPRESS - I CAN & I WILL. (shipping charges additional).
Use the coupon code KIDS40.
You can also read my post on '5 Ways A Planner Can Benefit Children'.
Here are some 'inside views' for you. The planner includes 15 colouring pages and fun ways to track daily habits and plan your intentions. It is an excellent gift for any child.
Please encourage them to use it daily and frequently. It will help set a routine and equip them to make progress.
Who can use this:
★ It's for every parent who wants to set a routine for their child and help them stay motivated to make progress.
★ It's for every child who is learning to be independent and wants to stay in control of things.
★ It's a great tool to assist children with special needs.
★ Parents of younger children can use this to track their child's progress and development.
Discover Inside:
Undated planning pages, with focus on monthly, weekly and daily planning.
Planning pages for 12 months, each month includes five-week planning sheets. It will let you organize all your appointments and events.
Monthly planning pages have space for monthly goals, dates to remember and checkboxes for essential notes.
Weekly planning pages help you log daily activities, track goals for the week and habits in an impressive way.
This planner also includes 15 colouring pages with encouraging reflections.
Additional pages to capture:
Books to read.
Reading Nook.
Learning goals.
Timetable.
Assessment Schedules.
Notes.
If you are looking for more planners, please visit the bookshelf.
