Different Strokes
As my oldest daughter was wrapping up her middle school years, I began to panic over the high school journey she was about to embark on. I did some research and quickly realized I would need to make sure I kept good records for the next four years, even though we didn’t know at the time if she was college bound. Along with the need for record-keeping, there was also the need for planning four years of credits, semester goals, and daily assignments. With that in mind, I created the High School 4 Year Plan.
Anyone who has multiple children, though, knows that each child is different in so many ways. In parenting and homeschooling alike, what we figure out with the first child does not necessarily meet all of the needs of the second child!
That was the case as my second daughter began the high school journey. With my oldest, the overall portfolio concept behind the High School 4 Year Plan was sufficient to help her process through the high school years. My second daughter, however, wanted something that allowed her to not only record her high school accomplishments but also process through daily life in an organized fashion.
An Important Skill
What I didn’t realize the first time around is that the “life management” planner is really a great need for all high school students.
Independence increases greatly during the high school years as our children become teens and start making their way toward adulthood. They have a need to develop skills during these four years that help them face life after graduation, no matter what their post-graduation goals may be. And one of those skills is personal time management.
Ideally, time management should begin in the middle school years, around fifth grade. But even if that foundation has not been laid, much can be learned in the high school years. Your student just needs a little bit of guidance and the proper resources.
Real Needs, Real Products
Even though I already had a product I was proud to share in the High School 4 Year Plan, my second daughter’s desire for a planner she could throw in her backpack to keep track of tutorial classes and daily assignments while also keeping up with her responsibilities and social life nudged me back to the drawing board. Her need provided the inspiration behind the Well Planned High School Planner.
With her own planner to carry around, my daughter was well on her way toward developing time management skills that have stuck with her into adulthood.
