Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today? We’re talking about procrastination. It’s a hard habit you want to break your child of before it ever begins. Waiting until the last minute can make a stressful situation even more harrowing. How many times have you burned the midnight oil to meet a deadline, only wishing you hadn’t postponed the inevitable? Probably too many times to count. So why not instill the same qualities in your child? Do your children – and yourself – a favor by teaching them the art of planning ahead. It’s this simple. When your child gets an assignment, have him set a goal. Work with your child to set up a time management schedule where he does a bit of the project every day. By breaking it down into small pieces, it likely won’t seem so daunting. Have your child break down the task into steps. Provide your child with praise and positive reinforcement each time he makes strides in completing the feat. This should serve as a motivator for your child to keep up the good work. When the project is complete, reward your child with a movie, a picnic or some other special event recognizing his efforts. Although it’s OK for you to be your child’s biggest cheerleader along the way, it’s not up to you to bail your child out when he is pressed for time because he waited until the last minute. Do not bail your child out. If you do, he will never learn the consequences of procrastination.