6 Ways for Teens to Learn Time Management and How to Prioritize Tasks

August 22, 2023 byKristina Cappetta

5 min to read

6 Ways for Teens to Learn Time Management and How to Prioritize Tasks

If procrastination is your teen’s best friend, you’re not alone. Many teens are not time management wizards and don’t know how to prioritize their tasks yet. This type of behavior can be problematic later in life, which is why it’s important to teach your teen how to better manage their time now.

While teaching time management skills to teens does require some work, it can be done! With the right tips and tricks, your teen can have a better handle on how to get things done without waiting until the last minute.

We have compiled a list of 6 tips for teaching time management skills to your teen and helping them prioritize tasks so that they can be successful now and throughout their lives.

Why Time Management for Teens is Important

When you mention the words time management to your teen, you may get an eye roll or two. But time management is an important skill for teens to grasp for several reasons:

Increases responsibility and independence
Allows for improved performance at school
Reduced anxiety when due dates arise
Gives more time for family and friends

Teens who have time management skills are also less stressed because they have a plan of action and know what needs to be done and when to do it.

6 Tips to Teach Time Management Skills & Prioritizing Tasks to Teens

When it comes to teaching time management to teens and prioritizing tasks, keeping these tips in mind can make the process easier:

1. Identify Barriers and Overcome Them

Health experts identify these three common barriers that can prevent teens from better managing their time: being easily distracted, overscheduling, and procrastinating.

Phones and social media can be big distractions. Have your teen leave their phone in another room or install web blockers to keep them off their devices.

While teens may want to say yes to all opportunities, this can lead to overscheduling. Tell them to practice saying no to some invitations so that they have more time to prioritize what needs to be done. As they complete their tasks, they’ll find that they end up having more time to do other extracurricular activities they want to do.

Procrastinating can take up a lot of time. Encourage your teen to break up assignments into smaller parts so that they don’t seem as overwhelming, which should hopefully make their project feel more manageable.

2. Take Breaks

Teens tend to have a short attention span. Teaching time management skills to teens includes helping them learn how to take breaks. Perhaps schedule a break for every 45 minutes to one hour. This way, the task may not seem as long, and they can feel a bit energized when they return.

An online school student using time management skills to organize her tasks into a schedule.

3. Create a Schedule & Table of Tasks

Just thinking about all that needs to be done can be overwhelming. By creating a schedule, your teen can block off time for specific tasks. This can help them determine how long it will take to get something done and how their day will be structured. Encourage them to schedule free time as well. This can be something that is scheduled for the end of the day and seen as a reward.

A table of tasks is another excellent way of teaching time management skills. Have them create a table, using columns to distinguish tasks, deadlines, and priorities. By visualizing what needs to be done, they can see what is due first and make those tasks a priority. They may also choose to break down larger projects into smaller steps that are easier to manage. When they do this, they can get a sense of accomplishment as they finish smaller goals.

4. Implement the Eisenhower Matrix

Have you heard of the Eisenhower Matrix? This is a time management tool that helps to prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency. This can be very helpful when teaching students time management skills.

To make an Eisenhower Matrix, divide a piece of paper into four quadrants. They will be labeled as so:

Urgent and Important: These are high-priority tasks that have deadlines and need immediate attention.
Important, but not Urgent: These are tasks that contribute to long-term goals.
Urgent, but not Important: These require prompt action, but may not contribute to long-term goals.
Neither Urgent or Important: These are low-priority tasks such as watching TV or scrolling through social media.

By teaching your teen to categorize their tasks in these lists, they can clearly see what needs to be done and what is a priority. Over time, this can help them with their time management skills and tracking their accomplishments.

A student using time management skills for teens to get goals.

5. Set Goals

Have your teen set goals, both long-term and short-term. Then, they can figure out how much time daily will be needed to work on that goal. This can help them manage their time and determine what’s most important.

6. Don’t Nag

While you may be tempted to constantly remind your teen about what needs to be done and when, it’s counterproductive. Nagging reduces responsibility. When you nag, they’ll start to think of their tasks as meaningless chores. By allowing them to figure out what they need to do, they will feel as though you trust them which will be a big confidence boost.

When it comes to teaching time management skills to teens, using one or several of these tips can help your teen learn how to prioritize their tasks and accomplish them. Remember, the skills you teach them today will help them grow into responsible adults tomorrow.