Planners for the Highly Distractable

[Patty Joanna]

I think I need to get my son on more than a "list of things to do" kind of planner next year. I think he needs to think, visually, about how much time he is going to commit to each objective so he can get a move on.

I would like to have something like what Franklin Covey offers, that is, something with the list of "projects" but also a thing with the hours listed. Franklin Covey's are too large--it needs to be a junior size (not 8.5 x 11).

The "month at a glance" is not as big a necessity because I'm still the Mistress of the Universe as far as that goes.

Chime in, and if you have websites to look at, put that in, too.

Thank you all in advance.

[Susan in IL]

You can get Franklin Covey planners in various sizes. Both my ds and I use the 8x5.5 (classic) size. They have smaller ones but we think those are too small.

[LunaLee]

Yes,we use Franklin Covey here too. My 3rd grader, my 8th grader, anid I all use one form or another. I really like the 1 week per 2pg style that way you can see everything you have to do for the week in a glance.

[Robin in Tx]

This is what I'm leaning towards for next year:

https://plannerpads.com/index.asp

They were linked on the old boards. I really like the look and idea. The design is week at a glance, with the pages divided into horizontal thirds. The top third is where you list things you need to accomplish/remember grouped by topic (for dd that will be subject headings and chores). The middle third is where you transpose that information into daily to do lists. The bottom third is where you schedule your time.

I like it because it's black and white and simple and to the point, and organizes the way I like to organize. There are things that dd has to do that will be the same every week, or every day, and I plan to list those things on an index card so she can paperclip them to page, and then just jot down "daily routine" on each day's to do list and refer to the index card for details.

DH just bought one of these and really likes it so far (still in the honeymoon phase, though :)). He was particularlly pleased with the binder, considering how inexpensive everything was.

I'm looking forward to this summer to get started. I want it to be July-June, so I'll have to wait just a couple more months!

HTH
Robin

[Becky in TX]

I love planners and these seem to have all my "Must Haves." I have been a Daytimer user since before kids. But my question is how to help my very "unplanner-oriented" ds to see their value and motivated to use them. We use spreadsheets that I generate for his weekly schedule, but I would love to have him better self manage all his work. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

TIA,
Becky in TX

[Patty Joanna]

Thanks, Robin. Since it will be July before we start, I'd like to hear your dh's input when the honeymoon is a little bit "over". I have always been a Franklin-Covey user, but it isn't going to work for us for this kid and for what his life is like. I *really* liked your idea of the moveable 3x5 card list. Anything that will save time... And this looks like a really good way to break his projects into manageable bits.

I'm still all ears for other responses, but this is a big help. Thanks.

[Patty Joanna]

Thanks Susan and LunaLee. I have been a Franklin-Covey user for about a million years, but they don't have what I need for THIS kid. (This has been so hard for me to work with him because i gravitate toward planners and he does not.)

Thanks for your posts tho.

[Robin in Tx]

Okay, I'll definitely let you know, but you might have to remind me :)

Here's what I'm thinking, but I don't know if it will fly with my particular kid or not:

She's taking classes next year. They meet once a week and she needs a place to jot down her assignments for the week. I'm thinking this can go up in the top third, under subject categories. Also, up there, she can write down her basic overview of the week for her subjects studied at home, too. I'm imaging it will look something like "Science - read two chapters, draft report on xyz, complete study sheet." and "Math - LEssons 21-24" and "Latin - lessons 12-14", etc.

Then, in the middle third, she would decide which days she wanted to do which part of these tasks, and learn how to space out her week evenly.

On the bottom third, of course, she would write in her class times, her music lessons, her swim team practices, any outings that are planned and, of course, play dates and social engagements (she will be in a teen group next year). She wants a daily chore chart (her idea!) that tells her what to do on Monday, what to do on Tuesday, etc., and I will likely post that on a wall somewhere in her bedroom or bathroom, and not make it part of the day planner (unless she considers it part of her "routine").

Using the top and bottom third portions, she will hopefully learn to plan her week by deciding which days she has time to do what things, how to schedule her days in the middle portion so that her work gets completed with some time to spare; and will hopefully help her see that I'm not just being a mean bossy whip cracking mom. And maybe this will help her grow up a little re: time management. That's the plan. The dream. It always sounds better in my head! LOL

ETA: About the index cards, I'm just going to write up her routines that are the same from day to day or week to week, and have her write in the middle portion, on each day's to do list, "routine"... then she can check it off once she completes the routine detailed on the index card.

[LaJuana]

...making your own template in Microsoft Works or Excel? I had a child who didn't like planners, and that's what I did. I made a template that included the things that I thought would help him to organize his time. My child had some input into the design to help make it work for him. To make a two-page per week planner, I printed page 1 on the back of page 2 so that he would have a full week at a glance. Then I printed multiple copies of the page and had them spiral bound at a local print shop for a very reasonable cost.

I loved having just what I wanted on the planner with none of the things I didn't need and without having to give up what I thought was important. It also ended up being less expensive than a ready-made planner.

edti: I just realized that it wasn't Robin who originally asked the question about planners for the highly distractible. So, even though this says it's for Robin, I really meant it to answer Patty Joanna.

[Patty Joanna]

It sounds pretty good in my head, too, my friend. But this is exactly our scenario. I am so frustrated by the way the current assignment thing is going...four separate teachers with four separate places to put assignments, and I wonder why he is confused. Why it seems like there is always one more thing to do...and why he forgets the stuff he wants to do and then says he never has time to do xyz. He WANTS to get his backpack ready for Scouts camping, but it isn't on a list anywhere. You know...same with me. I WANT to get the laundry room ratted out, but I don't actually get it done because I forget to put it on the list.

Anyway, thank you very much again, and also for the description above because it confirmed to me that this was indeed what I could accomplish with this. I think it was Jean in Wisc. who brought this product up on the old boards, by the way.

Kind regards,

[Robin in Tx]

LaJuana, that's not a bad idea. Then dd could put her own cover on it and we could customize it a bit. Thanks so much for the idea, even if it wasn't directed at me :).

Robin

[Plaid Dad]

IHe WANTS to get his backpack ready for Scouts camping, but it isn't on a list anywhere. You know...same with me. I WANT to get the laundry room ratted out, but I don't actually get it done because I forget to put it on the list.

Have I got a book for you! :) Getting Things Done. (http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280/) What I love about this method is that it can be used by anyone (not just business executives) and without a lot of fancy, expensive products. I have a simple calendar/to-do list right now, but I've used GTD with nothing more complex than a Hipster PDA (http://www.43folders.com/topics/hipster-pda).

GTD is ideal for people who have a lot of pans on the fire at any given moment. The author has even suggested that it might be a good system for people with ADD because it allows you to "capture" whatever you need to do before you forget it or get sidetracked. It also allows you to change gears quickly as circumstances shift around you. In that way, it's great for parents and students. I've never used the whole system, but it did help me to think about to-do lists differently. Enjoy!

[Patty Joanna]

Thanks, Drew.

I will try to take a look at this, if I can focus my attention long enough (sigh). I did order the book Robin recommended, in part because I have done the home-made planners for awhile and I find that it is a bit easier to get my son to pony up the effort if he has a feeling that there is Someone Official Who Knows What He/She Is Really Doing (as evidenced by a published thingy) that he is more cooperative.

But the book will probably help, no matter what I use.

And PlannerPad has a GREAT money-back guarantee (wink).

[keptwoman]

We also use Planners.
DS (14) uses the Franklin Covey compact planner. He uses a week to two pages and does his to do list each day on that.
DS (8) uses a student planner from the stationary shop, just a cheapie one.
I use a Filofax A5, I have designed my own pages and print them out. I use a week per 2 pages, one page is my diary and to-do list, the other page is my homeschool planner and recorder, so it's my planner, but I also keep it as my records.
I find designing and printing pages to my exact needs fabulous because I can tweak them as I go. Perhaps that would work for your child.

ETA: Sorry, reading the 2nd page I see that you are already thinking of that.
This site has some good printable planner pages, as well as different ideas for the Hipster PDA http://www.diyplanner.com/