Dear Parent Teacher Conference,
My high school sophomore is smart and capable, but she’s constantly struggling to keep up with her schoolwork. She waits until the last minute to study for tests, then stays up until 2 a.m. cramming. She forgets about assignments until the night before they’re due, and her backpack is a disaster with crumpled papers everywhere, missing handouts, lost permission slips. I’ve tried reminding her to start earlier, but she insists she has it under control. Then test day comes and she’s stressed and underprepared. Her grades are suffering, and I can see her confidence taking a hit. She’s not lazy, but she just seems completely overwhelmed and has no system for managing it all. How can I help her develop better time management and organization skills before it’s too late?
– Frazzled in Firestone
Dear Frazzled,
You’ve identified something critical: your daughter isn’t lazy, she’s overwhelmed. That distinction matters because the solution isn’t about pushing harder, it’s about working smarter. The good news is that time management and organization are learnable skills, not innate talents. The challenge is that by high school, she needs to develop these systems herself, with your support rather than your control.
Understand what’s really happening. High school demands a level of executive function that many teens simply haven’t developed yet. The teenage brain is still building the neural pathways for planning, prioritizing, and self-regulation. Your daughter may be dealing with anxiety about starting tasks, perfectionism that makes her avoid work, or simply a lack of awareness about how long things actually take.
Help her break down the process. Many students struggle because they don’t know what “studying” actually means. Work with her to identify concrete strategies: making flashcards, rewriting notes in her own words, teaching material to someone else, doing practice problems, or creating study guides. Different subjects require different approaches.
Teach backwards planning. When she has a test coming up, help her work backwards from the test date. If the test is Friday, what needs to happen Thursday? Wednesday? Tuesday? This might look like: Monday—review chapter 1 notes, Tuesday—make flashcards, Wednesday—practice problems, Thursday—review everything. Write it down where she can see it.
Introduce tools that work for teens. A paper planner works for some students. Others need digital solutions such as phone reminders, Google Calendar, or productivity apps. Let her experiment to find what clicks. The key is checking it daily and actually using it. Start small: just track test dates and major assignments for two weeks, then build from there.
Create simple organization systems. Help her set up one folder or binder per class, a designated homework spot at home, and a weekly backpack cleanout routine. The system should be simple enough that she’ll actually maintain it.
Establish a study routine. Work with her to identify when she’s most alert and focused. Help her block out 30-45 minutes of focused study time daily. Make sure she has a consistent, relatively distraction-free place to work.
Address the procrastination. Often it’s about anxiety or not knowing where to start. Help her identify the smallest possible first step. Not “study for history test” but “open the textbook to chapter 7.” Starting is often the hardest part.
Leverage school resources. Encourage her to use teacher office hours or tutoring. St. Vrain high schools offer resources through counselors and academic advisors who can help students develop organizational strategies tailored to their needs.
Model without micromanaging. Share your own time management strategies, but resist doing it for her. Don’t check her planner or text reminders about every assignment. Natural consequences are powerful teachers, as long as they’re not catastrophic.
High school is rigorous, and the organizational demands are real. But with patience, the right tools, and your steady support, your daughter can learn to manage it all. She’s capable. She just needs to build the systems that work for her brain.
—Parent Teacher Conference