Use a kitchen timer to keep your child on track

Time gets away from middle schoolers. Five minutes on the computer becomes an hour. Sound familiar? Try using a timer. Set it for 15 minutes.

When it goes off, so does the TV or computer. Your child knows it’s time to start homework. Or, set the timer for 45 minutes of homework time. When it goes off, your child can have a 15-minute break.

Reprinted with permission from the April 2005 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2005 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Charlene C. Giannetti and Margaret Sagarese, The Roller Coaster Years, ISBN: 0-553-06684-6 (Random House, 1-800-726-0600, www.randomhouse.com).