by Angie Wilcock, High Hopes     How many times have you asked your son or daughter, "When are you going to make a start on that assignment you've been putting off?" If the answer is "Never", then you are very rare indeed and your children are super-motivated! More commonly the answer is "Often" or "All the time!" So...what can we do to turn our nagging into encouragement so that our kids will commit to getting the job done?

No matter how organised we might be, there's always THAT task we don't want to do.....THAT job we leave at the bottom of the pile. If we are guilty of procrastination ourselves, then it's pretty easy to spot with our kids.

We all tend to delay the tasks we least enjoy...the ones that we know are going to be time-consuming and hold limited interest for us. We often choose to do what we like first, and act on the less interesting tasks later. So, we have some choice in the tasks we like to delay.  However, our kids are constantly faced with assignments they don't want to do - not too many kids rush home to make a start on a History or Geography assignment!

Nagging our kids is NOT the solution - it just adds to family stress and emotional outbursts which, in the long run, are counter-productive. So...where do we start?

A critical factor in avoiding procrastination is developing a system....a 'plan of attack'. There is no 'one size fits all' - but ANY size is better than none! Here are a few points for students to consider as a basic 'plan' to avoid procrastination:

1. Take the assignment out of your bag and read it!

2. While you are reading through the task, highlight the important words to give you a sense of what you have been asked to do.

3. Re-define the task - summarise, in your own words, what are the requirements of the task. By doing this, you have made a 'connection' with the assignment and you have a basic understanding and starting point for research and planning.

4. Use a planner or timetable to jot down a few time slots for work - allocate time for research, drafting, editing etc. Once you have broken down the assignment into chunks, it is easier to see how progress can me made... rather than looking at an assignment as a huge slab of boring work you have no interest in completing.

5. If you stick to specific and achievable time frames, it's a really nice feeling to 'tick' the sections you have completed....you can see that progress is being made.

If your son or daughter makes a commitment to DO rather than DELAY, they may be surprised at how much more positive they start to feel about school and their learning. The feeling of being in control and on top of the workload is critical to student attitude and success, especially as they move into the senior years of school.

As a parent, this kind of planning is no doubt part of your everyday world...it needs to be part of your child's world as well!

The tried and true method of 'Rocks, Pebbles, Sand' is another method of prioritising rather than  procrastinating. When an assignment comes home and it looks as though it will be a major time-consumer, it's a good idea to divide it into 'Rocks', 'Pebbles' and 'Sand'.

The 'Rocks' are the elements that will take the most time - the tasks which really are the foundation of the assignment...such as research. Identify these first. The 'Pebbles' are also critical to the assignment, and may include the drafting, editing, final writing or construction of the task. The 'Sand' often includes the final elements such as supporting sketches, quotes, labelled diagrams etc... and bibliography. Once the elements of the assignment have been identified as 'Rocks', 'Pebbles' or 'Sand', it becomes much easier to determine how much time to allocate to each. No point putting an enormous effort into the 'Pebbles' or 'Sand' if the  foundational 'Rocks' are not solid.

Bottom line is....school assignments and tasks are a fact of life. Procrastination is simply a recipe for anxiety and stress, but prioritising is a way of establishing control. A 'plan of attack' is far more likely to lead to a feeling of success and well-being....but constant procrastination can only lead to an overwhelming feeling of anxiety and failure.

Achievement is not only about high scores, it is also about progressing towards reaching the potential that is in every child....and parents can a start the ball rolling by encouraging good work habits rather than nagging about the bad habits!

About the author: 

She has presented at state conferences and worked directly with parents and students across Australia over the past four years, and in 2010 joined the Generation Next team - along with experts in their field such as Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, Paul Dillon and Dr Andrew Fuller - presenting to parents nationally on issues of adolescent mental health and well-being. She is also an online adviser on the US website AllExperts, and has had several articles on transition, learning styles and time management published in state and national education journals as well as on educational websites.  Link: High Hopes

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