Transcript: Time Management

MOM: Did you do your homework?

RUBY: Not yet. Got to check my email.

MOM: Ruby! Come back here now! Did you take out the garbage?

RUBY: I will. I promise.

MOM: Promises. Promises. You don't do your chores and your school work is suffering. Remember your "D" last week in history? You know how much school is important to this family.

RUBY: Oh, Ma. I'm just busy that's all. I'm doing fine.

MOM: I was so frustrated with Ruby. Then my friend from church, Mrs. Sue, told me that she and her son, Andy, made a schedule for him to follow.

MOM: I have an idea to help you get organized. I want you to make a schedule.

RUBY: A schedule?! Oh like you have to know everything I do.

MOM: I'm serious, Ruby. Look at this. This is the schedule that Andy Sue and his mother made. I thought we could use it as an example.

RUBY: Andy uses a schedule? Really? He's kinda cute.

MOM: Mrs. Sue said Andy has even more time for things now that he uses his schedule.

RUBY: More time? This I got to see.

MOM: Let's start by making a list of everything you do during the week.

RUBY: Let's see, basket ball, video games…

MOM: And don't forget about your chores and church.

RUBY: Take out garbage, church, watch TV. homework. Okay all done. Now what?

MOM: Now it's time to make the schedule.

MOM: On the schedule, we listed the names of the work on top and along the side, the time of the day. From 8am- 3pm is school. Then after school everything is broken up into half an hour timeslots.

RUBY: What's next?

MOM: Next, we fill in the schedule.

RUBY: Lets see, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3- 4:30 basketball practice and on Tuesday, nature club.

MOM: We take everything from her list and put it on the schedule so that each activity has their own time slot. And we the pencil so we could change it around. And there were a lot of changes.

MOM: How's it coming along?

RUBY: I'm almost done. I'm just putting in my TV time. You know my favorite TV show is on every night from 8- 8:30 and that leaves homework from 5:30- 6 on weekdays.

MOM: That's not enough time for homework. How about you schedule homework from 5- 6:30.

RUBY: An hour and a half! I don't need that much time. Besides I have video games scheduled from 6 - 6:30.

MOM: What if you have a special project or big test coming up in school? You'll need a little extra time. How about you schedule homework from 5- 6:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-6?

RUBY: Okay. And on those days I can use the extra half hour to play video games or go on the computer before dinner, right?

MOM: Right! And don't forget your chores. One night you have to take out the garbage and one night you have to do the dishes. That should only take half an hour. So if you schedule it from 7:30- 8, you still have time for your TV show.

RUBY: And then from 9- 10 on Saturday, I'll do the laundry.

MOM: Now you're thinking! Then you have the rest of Saturday to do whatever you want.

MOM: So Ruby and I spent some time making the schedule. I don't want to say she enjoyed it.

RUBY: But making the schedule wasn't so bad. It came out pretty cool.

RUBY: Look, Ma, I'm done!

MOM: That looks real nice, Ruby. Let's put it on the refrigerator. Now listen, let's say if you stick to this schedule for a month and your grades go up, I'll get you tickets to one of those NBA games.

RUBY: Really, Mom? That would be so cool.

MOM: Do you think you'll have time?

RUBY: I have to check my schedule, but I think I can squeeze it in.

MOM: Let's make dinner.