I know how crazy life can get. Sometimes it seems that more and more responsibilities are loaded onto our plates.

We are called upon to be Mom, Dad, chef, housekeeper, coach, doctor, nurse, counselor, nurturer, and teacher, all rolled into one. It’s no wonder that finding the time for academic lessons can often be placed on the back burner.

I too have at times fallen into thinking I don’t have time for lessons. I have to make a living for my family. I must take care of my children’s material, health, nutritional, and emotional needs.

It can all seem overwhelming sometimes.

But once I decided that my son needed to learn, I had to make it a priority, the same way I would make other important commitments a priority.

But how can we pull this off when it seems there is virtually no time available?

What has worked for me is to keep my son’s lessons short and sweet.

I’ve found that he becomes maxed out at anything longer than 30 minutes, anyway. These days, even 10 minutes of one activity or subject is about all he can handle.

Can you fit in 10 minutes of reading in the morning, and 10 minutes of math in the afternoon? I’m pretty sure I can.

Of course, some days can be so crazy that it’s hard to fit in even 10-minute lessons. We had a crazy week recently, and I couldn’t get to his lessons until Friday.

As long as this is the exception rather than the rule, I wouldn’t sweat it. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t always find the time. As long as your child’s lessons are the normal routine, he will still benefit from the time you spend on his training.

And if you can give yourself the permission to miss a day here and there when you need to, you’ll be less stressed in the long run. That’s taking care of yourself, which you must do to take good care of your family.

Life is short. I believe we can make the most of it by keeping a mindset of moderation.

Keeping lessons short (if you need to) but consistent is one way to maintain a healthy balance. Another is to avoid the mindset of perfectionism by realizing that it’s okay to miss a day of lessons if life gets hectic.

If you and your child can handle more time on lessons, then that’s great! But understand that ANY amount of time you spend each day can make a big difference for your child—even if it’s only five minutes.

As Satya has said, “A little progress every day adds up to big results.”

Warm Regards,


Kay Donato