COLLEGE READINESS SKILL #4:
Setting Alarms & Using Them
Setting Alarms & Using Them
If you are like most parents of a high school student, waking your son/daughter up for school has been a part of your morning routine for the last 10-12 years. You have not only been your child's morning alarm clock, but also their afternoon and evening time keeper as well. As Marydee Sklar, creator of the Seeing My Time executive functioning program that is used at Thames Aacademy says, parents have taken on the role of the "executive functioning part of the brain" for students with learning and executive functioning challenges. You have your child's time keeper, 'waker-upper', and 'time to go to sleep' manager. This will all change when your child leaves for Thames Academy in the fall.....
Students who are most successful at Thames Academy are able to effectively (not perfectly) manage their time. This includes waking up for 9:00am classes, attending academic advisor appointments, using the dining hall during operating hours, going to social activities in the evening and only playing video games for an hour (or two) before going to bed.
One of the ways your son/daughter can begin to take ownership and become empowered to independently manage their time is by setting and using alarms.
This includes:
-Knowing how to set an 'old fashioned' bedside alarm clock
-Familiarizing themselves with the alarm/timer functions on their cell phone
-Using a digital timer to record time spent doing homework, playing video games and other simple tasks
This summer, give your son/daughter small, but achievable challenges in which they can record and manage their time. Ask your child to record how long it takes to take out the garbage, empty the dishwasher, or do their laundry. Sometimes when we time the things that we don't like to do we realize that they don't last as long as we think they do! Have your son/daughter set an alarm to wake up in the morning and really let them practice waking up on their own. If your son/daughter sleeps through the alarm, consider buying a louder alarm clock and then keep practicing!
Parents, please resist the temptation to call/text your son/daughter to help them wake up for class. This might help you feel better in the beginning of the year, but it is counterproductive to helping your child gain independence and it can be quite overwhelming for you to keep track of your own schedule as well as your son/daughter's! Again, practice this skill over the summer and you can rest easier after move-in day when your son/daughter is living on their own. Good luck!
