How to Stop Procrastination with Online Schoolwork

Does your child have a tendency to procrastinate? Whether they’re five, fifteen, or somewhere in between, procrastination is a really common habit among students of all ages.

Why do we procrastinate?

Many people procrastinate on some things, but not others, while some people procrastinate on literally everything. Common things people push to the side are tasks, duties, or activities that involve something they don’t enjoy doing, may cost them money, cause them pain, or bring them mental and/or physical difficulty.

Now, if we are regularly procrastinating, that might mean that we need to change something in our lives. It might be our schedule, or how we motivate ourselves. Procrastination might even be caused by the lifestyle we are living. Inactivity, poor diet, and stress will contribute to laziness or disinterest. Shouldn’t we always be striving to enjoy the work we’re doing and work towards experiencing a better quality of life? 

When we put things off for tomorrow, sometimes tomorrow never comes. Our tasks continuously pile up until we are forced into stressful states of mind and have to face “crunch time.” 

If your child is procrastinating with their work during online schooling, it’s time to make some changes. Not only will these tips help stop procrastination, but in turn they will teach your child how to properly manage their time now and in the future.

Yes, it’s time to help all the procrastinators in your household live a more productive and fulfilling day to day life. Successful students fight procrastination.

Mindset is everything.

Help your child understand what procrastination is, why they do it, and what the long term effects of it all. Depending on their age, use real life examples of what daily procrastination can lead to. If possible, use people the child knows in real life and their life circumstances to give your child a reality check of some potential outcomes.

Your child may be so accustomed to procrastinating that they see no problem with it. They are likely comfortable with this schedule and lifestyle they have maintained, and don’t want to do anything different that will disturb them from their comfort zone.

While adjusting one’s mindset or way of thinking doesn’t typically happen overnight, that’s okay. Baby steps are always key when you’re in search of lasting change.

Help your child deal with tasks in a timely fashion little by little. When they get assigned homework from their teacher, have them complete or even start at least one page that same evening. This will help them practice time management. This leads us into our next tip, which is to maintain structure in the household.

Structure

Maintain routines! Use alarms, to-do lists, time-monitoring apps, or any other methods to help your child work through everything on their schedule. Teach them how to balance their time, and constantly remind them that if they focus now, they will have way more time to play later. If they fool around, they will waste time and run out of playtime because it was spent procrastinating. You can put systems in place that will guide your child throughout the day to help them navigate any tasks that need to be done.

Make sure that your child is actively paying attention to their online class.

Help your child arrive five minutes early to class. Provide them with everything they need like their books and learning materials. Remind them to take a bathroom break and feed them before class. Ideally, get them moving before they sit down at their desk so they are more likely to sit still and remain focused. All of these small things play a big part in helping prepare your child for active listening and higher retention rates during class.

Is your child struggling with their online class? Schedule your free class and assessment today with passionate Genie Academy instructors for reading, writing, math, and coding.

-The Genie Academy Team