Ever wondered why there are still so many overwhelmed, disorganised teens – even after being told what exactly they can do about it?
You reach out and give the best advice you have, and yet your child still can’t start assignments early. They choose to do everything at the last minute. Nothing gets done properly.
You’d think that by now, teenagers already know how to manage their schoolwork and time, especially in Year 9 or higher. After all, they’ve also got teachers, coordinators, or tutors who share the same tips as you.
But the problem is not the lack of reminders or information or that your child wants to do nothing right. Most of the time, teenagers just don’t know where to start.
That kind of uncertainty builds overwhelm and stress. When everything starts to feel like it’s too much, your child’s willpower to do anything diminishes and their learning gaps widen.
So how can you support your overwhelmed teenager to be more organised – without pushing too hard and hurting their overall wellbeing? We share how Katrina helped her daughter, Maddie, overcome overwhelm and three specific strategies to help you improve your child’s study habits and avoid stress.
Katrina & Maddie: From Overwhelmed to Overachieving
Katrina’s Year 11 daughter, Maddie, had complex health conditions that prevented her from attending traditional schooling. Maddie’s distance education provider emailed her schoolwork, but she struggled to manage the content and fell behind.
Completely overwhelmed and stressed out by assignment deadlines, Maddie didn’t know how or where to start. She spent hours struggling and anxious with schoolwork that she couldn’t get the ideas out of her head. Her exams were also handed in barely completed, and she received warnings for them from her school.
Maddie desperately wanted to get into university, but it seemed impossible. Her confidence and mental state hit an all-time low. That’s when a family friend recommended that Katrina reach out to us.
We first assessed Maddie’s Unique Learning Profile (ULP) and created an assessment battleplan to help Maddie break down notifications and plan her tasks in manageable chunks. We wanted Maddie to get the highest possible mark with minimal stress, so we also supported her progress with mindset coaching and accountability.
In twelve months, Maddie went from being unable to write a three-word homework response to achieving 20/20 Advanced English essays under exam conditions. She has received awards in English, Legal Studies, and Geography. Maddie also got into her first preference of university course and completed her first uni semester with High Distinction.
How to Beat Student Overwhelm
We asked our education strategists how parents can support overwhelmed, disorganised teens like Maddie in overcoming stress and effectively getting things done. Here are their three best practices:
#1. Build a time management system.
Establishing a solid time management system with your child empowers them to regain control over their time. There are many tips and techniques out there. Regardless of which time management principle you choose, your child’s success comes down to whether you get their buy-in and stick to it or not.
At Kalibrate-Ed, we built the High School Time Machine video series to guide parents in teaching organisation, time management and proactivity for schoolwork. If you want to check out the guides, click here.
#2. Map your milestones, not deadlines.
Sometimes, looking at deadlines can give a sense of fear or worry. Mapping the key milestones instead of focusing only on submission dates can help turn daunting tasks into manageable actions.
‘Backwards mapping’ involves planning from the finish line (your child’s deadline) and identifying the checkpoints and stages they need to accomplish the task. This breaks down an assignment into a series of step-by-step actions, which are less intimidating and easier to start.
#3. Create an Assessment Battleplan.
An Assessment Battleplan is a tool used by Kalibrate-Ed students to effectively organise their assessments so they get their ideal marks or a 90+ ATAR. (Click here to check it out.)
This detailed battleplan helps prioritise tasks when the volume of schoolwork starts to increase. It can also minimise the risk of overwhelmed, disorganised teens getting more stressed.
But what if you’ve tried it all? You’ve had the same discussion about time management principles, organised your child’s calendar and assessments – and even mapped out the checkpoints for your child without seeing any progress at all.
We’re hosting a FREE live discussion for Year 7-12 parents who want to introduce and implement effective study habits without putting too much pressure on their child. The ‘Effective Study Habits without Nagging’ event goes live next Wednesday, 27th November, from 7:30 to 8:30 PM on Zoom.
The session will not be recorded, so it’s best to sign up NOW and save your seat. Click here to read the full details and register for the event.
