Thought and Poem

Thought - August 3, 2014

It is always good to learn when we are young how to use our time wisely. There will always be something else that has to be done in any given day and in order to get it done; we need to learn to prioritize the use of our time. So that we won’t become anxious, we need to make a list of what is most important and do them in the time we allot, so that we will not have to make excuses for why a task is not completed when it needed to be.

For example, with school doors opening, let’s talk about finding the time to do homework. I can remember my school days even after all these years later and how I hated to have to take time out of my “free” time to do it. Procrastination was the word of the day.

The first thing I did when I got home from school was change into my play clothes. Then I would collect my books and put them on the kitchen table. But, before I could do my homework, I had to have a snack. Okay, with snack eaten, well, now I needed to watch a little TV. Then before I knew it, it was time to get started making our evening meal. I also had to make sure the other children in the home were changed into their play clothes and were getting their homework assignments done. Next on my “to do” list after school was to make sure the house was clean, that my brothers and sisters were clean and that all were ready to sit down to eat when my mother walked through the door after coming home from work. I always felt I could do my homework “after” supper.

Well, after supper, I had to do the dishes, bath the children, put them to bed, do laundry, iron, and prepare the lunches for the next day. After all these things were done....then I could sit and think about my schoolwork. Wrong! By this time, I was too tired. Most often, my homework did not get done. If there were awards for the different excuses a person could come up with for not handing in their homework assignments, well I would have earned them all.

I know for sure though, that if I did not complete my homework assignments, I did not want to go to school the next day. My stomach hurt from the stress of the anxiety I was feeling for not having taken the time to do my work. Eventually I came to give up on trying because I was overwhelmed and could not handle all that was expected of me.

Having aged quite a bit since then, I still have “work assignments” that need to be done every day; chores, responsibilities, and by planning how they would be done, when they would be done and how much time I should spend doing each, I was able to learn that there could be extra time in my day to do the things I wanted to do, such as watching TV, playing and spending time with my children, with even a little time for me to just sit and do nothing! All I needed to do was prioritize my list of things to do and then use my time wisely. I wish I had known this when I was attending school. I would have spared myself a lot of grief!

What about you? What can you add to this thought that might help children learn to use their time wisely so that they are not overwhelmed by their homework assignments and can earn to enjoy doing them instead? Share your thoughts with us…Jeanne Claire Probst

I have so much homework.

I am overwhelmed and don’t know what to do.

I am pulling out my hair stressing over this fact.

There is never enough time and how to get things done leaves me confused!

Yikes - time is running out on this day.

I still have math, history, and biology homework to get out of the way,

So that tomorrow I can start afresh with new assignments on my plate.

Oh dear, I am so overwhelmed I don’t know what to say.

Now let’s think about this fact for a moment without going off the deep end.

Many students have felt this way too and are struggling.

But many have also been successful in getting their work done and got to turn in their homework assignments.

So how did they do it and get it all done pretty much has to do with the word “spend.”

Spend your time wisely.

Spend some time to rest.

Spend some time to have something good to eat.

Spend your time honestly.

Then you will see by using your time wisely,

And by not procrastinating,

That having to do homework is not all that bad,

And doing things this way reduces the stress and keeps you from going mad!

Jeanne Claire Probst