Pressure Cooker n Focus on the importance of organization.
Teach your children to keep an updated calendar, to make thorough to-do lists, and to keep their school papers in order – even if they don’t think they need to. This will make them more efficient and will cut out quite a bit of needless worry along the lines of “I forget what I’m supposed to do for history class tonight!” Being organized sets kids up for success, not just in school but throughout their lives. n Teach kids to take advantage of the most efficient times of their day.
As a parent, you might not be able to significantly decrease your child’s workload, but you can help him to work as efficiently as possible. If your child is a morning person, encourage him to get up 20 minutes early to practice violin or review for a test before school. Likewise, if he’s a night owl, let him sleep in as late as possible. Remember that the standard breakfast-school-everythingelse schedule may or may not work best for your son, and within reason, allow and encourage him to do what’s most efficient.
114 Atlanta Parent January 2012
n Help kids work toward the big things.
You don’t want your kids to make themselves sick over things like end-ofyear exams or college applications, but at the same time, they can’t ignore these big tasks altogether and live a happy-go-lucky Pollyanna existence. Help them learn to approach major milestones with a plan and a realistic perspective that won’t give them ulcers. Sit down together at least a few times a year to talk about major changes and goals that are coming down the pike. This is a great opportunity to teach your daughter how to break a big project down into manageable chunks that won’t be overwhelming but will still give her a sense of accomplishment when she completes them. Always remember that the ability to cultivate happiness and balance is one of the best possible ways to set your child up for success. Yes, performance and doing one’s best are important – but not at the price of your child’s happiness and well-being. c Todd Patkin is the author of Finding Happiness: One Man’s Quest to Beat Depression and Anxiety and – Finally – Let the Sunshine In (www. findinghappinessthebook.com).
[ Focus on Education]
You don’t want your kids to make themselves sick over things like end-ofyear exams or college applications, but at the same time, they can’t ignore these big tasks altogether and live a happy-go-lucky Pollyanna existence.
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