Radio Commentary
Who are the most successful in
life? Sometimes we see that it is not
necessarily those who are the brightest or the most highly educated or the most
well-intentioned.
Sometimes it is simply a function
of being well-organized and staying the course. Woody Allen made famous the
quote that ‘95% of success is showing up on time.’
Whether a child is in school or
outside the classroom, being organized is an important trait that can make a
real difference.
One good way to help children get
in the habit of being organized is to buy them a big calendar. The calendar
should have lots of space to write on each day. The bigger the better.
Encourage
children to write key dates on the calendar, such as birthdays, school
holidays, medical appointments, and planned outings.
Have them mark dates they have to
be somewhere regularly, such as after-school sports practices or music lessons.
Next, have
them add the due dates for homework assignments, especially those that will
take time to complete. And be sure to write in exam dates.
Help
children get in the habit of checking the calendar every week night for the
next day’s activities. Talk about what needs to be done to prepare. Sunday
night is a good time to check on what’s happening the following week and to add
new things coming up.
In many
families, a calendar has proven to be the key to helping children schedule time
wisely and stay organized — a habit that proves valuable throughout life.
