3 Time Management Tips for Child Actors

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3 Time Management Tips for Child Actors

A young actor or actress has a lot on their plate. From filming to auditions to acting lessons and more, throwing schoolwork into the mix may seem nearly insurmountable. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Juggling so many obligations is taxing on any actor, but for child actors who still have to make time for their schooling, it may seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Combining work with studying without proper time management skills can harm an actor’s career and their education. This stress is completely unnecessary and can be conquered with some reflection and careful planning.

Time management skills are critical for every walk of life. Here are three options for your child actor to consider when devising ways to better manage their schoolwork and careers:

  • Don’t leave work until the last minute. No matter the schooling arrangement your child might have, getting work done promptly is their best defense against being overwhelmed. Procrastination, though appealing, will do nothing but harm. Use down time at auditions or during travel to catch up on assignments. Though it may be tempting to leave assignments for later, getting them done as soon as or shortly after they are assigned will be the best for your child in the long run. Being on top of schoolwork will reduce stress and give them more time to focus on their careers, instead of worrying over when they’ll be able to finish their homework.

  • Set a schedule. Though every actor’s daily tasks will vary, setting some sort of schedule to block out and organize their time is a vital tool to making the most of every hour in the day. And with the assistance of parents or guardians to hold them to the schedule they create, young actors can develop productive routines. In these routines, important things like making time to sleep and eat should never be overlooked. In fact, letting your child skip out on sleep or a healthy diet would hurt their mental and physical well-being, even if it would put more time into their hands. Writing a new schedule every week to organize priorities and activities can set the mood and give your child something to reference back to if they feel overwhelmed. Some actors may need a softer arrangement, as many obligations may be in flux, but always having some kind of schedule in place should prevent any unnecessary stress.

  • Know your priorities. Working as a child performer sometimes requires making hard decisions that other children do not need to make. To accommodate the time needed to build an acting career and satisfy education obligations, youngsters must set priorities. At times, child actors may have to cut down on leisure activities or on spending time with friends in order to reach their goals. Just like many things in life that we value, being a child performer may require making sacrifices. Discussing priorities and goals with your child will help them to understand what matters most in the long run.

In the end, it all comes down to discipline. If equal effort is put into building an acting career and education, then you or your child should be able to make it work and prioritize what is most important. Understanding that both education and acting are vital to one’s future can serve as a motivator and, with intentional organization, make for a smooth and fulfilling work-school-life balance.

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