Lost In Time
Young people have their whole lives ahead of them. Time seems to be in infinite supply.
Most have not reached a stage in their lives where they are juggling multiple responsibilities and trying to find the hours in the day to get everything done. Getting to grips with time management is not something that our youth often have at the top of their ‘to do’ list but it is a skill that will serve them well in all aspects of their lives.
Teenagers are famously fond of a lie-in. Many parents and guardians will have done the ‘Get up! You’ll be late!’ routine. Many will have sat up checking their watches when there is no sign of their teenager, who should have been home by ten. As irritation and anxiety mounts, some may remember that they too were once unpunctual, with a carefree sense of having all the time in the world. Ironically, for most, only time reveals the fallacy of this perception – but it needn’t be that way.
Teaching young people to respect and value time is complicated by the fact that time is relative. An hour is an eternity to young children and the saying ‘life is short’ often means little to happy-go-lucky teenagers. Encouraging young people to get a grip on time, and to realise how precious it is, can best be accomplished by demonstrating the many ways in which it can have tangible benefits in their lives. You may have tried to convey some or all of these messages to your time-challenged teenager:
Time management is about the future as well as the present. Opportunities exist in time. They bloom and fade. If you don’t take advantage of chances when they present themselves, they may be lost forever, leaving painful and lingering regrets.
Respect for time improves relations with family and friends. Whether intentional or not, habitual lateness wastes other people’s valuable time and can lead to conflict and strain in relationships. If you are late, others will start to worry, because they care for you and worry about you. Is that a suitable return for their friendship and love?
There are many other benefits to be gained from respecting time. For example, no one can be efficient without timekeeping skills. Leaving things to the last minute because of poor timekeeping only creates stress and anxiety. Similarly, a rush job completed in panic is never going to be as good as one where you have had time to do things carefully in a relaxed way – and you’ll enjoy it more.
Poor timekeeping can have unpleasant but avoidable consequences. Is the punishment you get for being repeatedly late for school really worth it? Isn’t detention or extra homework a waste of your precious time? Something as simple as missing the last bus, and walking home alone in the dark, can put you at risk of becoming a victim of crime.
Most teenagers have some sense of these things. However, knowing something and taking it on board are two different things. The stories in The Seven Principles of RESPECTisms use the emotive power of storytelling to communicate the message. Stories of people like themselves hook young readers, engaging them in a way that parental lectures never can. Tracey’s story relates how she learns these lessons, but only after suffering the consequences of her cavalier attitude to time.
The book has been described as “an easy read that presents compelling messages in an effortless way”. Not only is it a more effective way to teach, but it is an easier, more positive and more enjoyable way for parents and guardians to engage and motivate young people and guide or modify their behaviour.
Understanding that time is on our side only if we use it effectively is one of the character-building life skills that The Seven Principles of RESPECTisms helps to develop.
By Ken Barnes
