Gymastics, sports, and other extracurricular activies offer a plethora of benefits for kids, from increased physical fitness to responsibility and confidence. One advantage that tends to be overlooked quite frequently is an improvement in time management skills. Here is a brief guide to how balancing activities can teach kids how to better manage their time.

Planning

The first step to using sports and other activities to boost your child's time management skills is to encourage planning. When your child shows interest in a new activity, be sure to help them find information about the length of the season and how much time must be dedicated on a daily and weekly basis. 

Before committing, make sure they understand just how much of their time each activity will take and what might need to be sacrificed to keep it balanced with school and other priorities. Be realistic. You don't want to encourage overcommitment, but you also don't want to discourage participation.  

Prioritizing 

Part of time management is prioritizing. Be sure to discuss with your child what you expect their top priorities to be and allow them to make small adjustments as they wish. For example, perhaps succeeding at school, fulfilling team commitments, and spending quality time with the family are your non-negotiable priorities. 

As your child learns to balance all their responsibilities, they will naturally develop their own secondary priorities that help them manage their time and feel in control of their lives. This might look like prioritizing extra practice for one sport-related activity over a social event related to the other or vice versa. 

If you're interested in signing your child up for gymnastics, you can count on The Gymnastics Training Center of Rochester in Penfield, NY. These experienced instructors offer a safe and encouraging environment for kids to learn and grow while improving their skill level, patience, determination, and physical fitness. Visit their website or call (585) 388-8686 for more information on their current programs.