Balancing school and extracurricular activities
Once a month, we pose a question submitted by one of our readers to a local professional or expert regarding parenting issues. For this edition of “Positively Parenting,” a reader submitted a question about finding balance with school and extracurricular activities. We turned to Virginia Reijners, director of school counseling for Philip Simmons High School, for the answer.
QUESTION:
“My son plays a sport and has practice every afternoon after school, he also has 1-2 hours of homework a day. He is struggling to find balance in his schoolwork, sports and social life. Do you have any tips that could help?’
ANSWER:
Several different ideas come to mind when considering how to design a plan or schedule that creates balance for a student who is also engaged in sports or any other extracurricular activity that requires a significant time commitment.
Planning is a good place to start. Creating a printed or electronic calendar that is visible and available to all in the home is important. Determine what you know. Identify the time commitments for school, practices, family time, sleeping and other obligations. Once you have these time commitments identified, you then have a clearer picture of the available time for focusing on academics and the time for being with friends. This calendar becomes your weekly and monthly planner for all commitments while highlighting the tasks that need to be completed as well. Dedicate time each day, even on the weekends, for academics. The time on the weekends can allow the student to get ahead and helps in prioritizing the time needed for academic commitments in the coming week.
Time for self is important each day, too. Relaxing and having fun is so important in establishing and maintaining balance. Encourage weekend socializing and unstructured time.
Teaching and modeling time management skills can help decrease worry and minimize any procrastination that interferes with successfully utilizing the time available for studying. Some examples of good time management are:
• Determine the appropriate amount of time for schoolwork tasks and then set a time limit to complete them. This can help in identifying the times when the student may need assistance in completing the assignments.
• Prioritize assignments. Complete an easier assignment first.
• Add reminders to the electronic calendar.
• Use travel time for studying or confirming homework and planning study times for that day.
• Use available time during the school day for studying. Teachers can assist in identifying when these times might be available.
When studying, removing distractions is a must. Keeping all potential distractions – the phone, laptop, gaming devices etc, out of sight and reach, when not required to complete assignments or used as a study aid, will maximize time on task.
Is the student in the best location to be completing schoolwork? Sitting at the kitchen table may not be the best location when there is constant activity taking place. Sitting alone in their bedroom, unmonitored, may not be the best because access to distractions can be very tempting. Quick check-ins and observations during study time help in quickly identifying if any adjustments need to be made.
Communicating with all involved is so important. Parents, students, teachers, school counselors and coaches are all important voices in supporting the successes of each child. Understanding expectations, checking in periodically and providing feedback are all significant components in helping the child not feel so overwhelmed. Classmates’ parents can also be a helpful resource for academic and social activity planning.
There are tremendous benefits to participating in athletics; however, be aware of the warning signs. Balancing academics, athletics and a social life can be tricky. Grades may drop, motivation may wane and excuses may arise. When students stop having fun, it may be time to re-evaluate being involved or time to make adjustments to their day-today activities. Finding balance is an on-going process.