PW invited parents of Fazlani L’Academie Globale, Mumbai to share the best time management strategies they follow “My wife and I run a law firm together, Our profession as solicitors is taxing with long working hours. However, we follow our daily schedules diligently to finish as much work as possible in office so we are free to spend time at home with our 12-year-old son Shantanu (class-VII). Shantanu loves gardening so I assist him in our small kitchen garden in the late evenings and over weekends. As a result time management has become of utmost importance to all of us. This has enabled my wife and son to sign up for art classes, make time to dabble with colours, to visit malls and watch movies.” — Deven Dwarkadas, advocate & solicitor, Deven Dwarkadas & Partners “I believe teaching children about discipline is the best way to impart lessons in time management. We encourage our 13-year-old daughter Aayeesha (class VIII) to prioritise her chores and schedule important tasks accordingly. Last week, she had school tests, an inter-house dance and elocution competition. I am proud to say she fared brilliantly in all. The weekend prior to her tests and competitions, we observed Aayeesha practicing in front of the mirror and studying late into the night. We believe constant motivation and support help children to make time for multiple co-curricular and sports activities.” — Mamta Faruqui, homemaker “Spending quality time with children is a top priority for us. From their childhood, we have encouraged our daughter Abhiti (class XI) and son Divit (19) to complete their homework and sundry tasks well in time so we can all sit at the table for at least one meal together. There have been times when we have had to use the ‘N’(no) word with them when they wanted to engage in something they thought was more pressing or idle chatter. Moreover, we also invest substantial time in planning family vacations with all members given a chance to include their preferences. This way when we reach our destination little time is wasted.” — Isita Bhavesh Koradia, homemaker “As both of us are working parents, we have learnt to balance our time between workplace and home so we can spend maximum time with our four-year-old daughter Maisha Zarir who is in junior KG. Maisha loves to listen to bedtime stories, so my husband and I cooperate to complete household chores to make time for story telling every night. In the evenings we don’t spend overtime in our offices so we can take Maisha cycling and have long conversations with her while she cycles. On weekends, we make time to hit the pool.” — Parinaz Zarir Bhesania, admissions and events department, D.Y. Patil International School
