How Not to Be Tardy

When was the last time you were late for something? Was it last month, last week, yesterday, or today? (Maybe you're running late right now because you're reading this email.) What were you late for? Was it a movie, a youth group meeting at church, your little sister's school play, or soccer practice? Was it your fault that you were late, or was it the fault of the person driving the car?

Some families are never late. Other families are always late. Which family is yours? Not sure? Well, if your mom has a bumper sticker on her car that says, "Better late than never," then you're probably member of the "always late" family. We completely understand that sometimes when you're late it's totally out of your control. But getting to class on time is something you can control.

There are several reasons (most of them lame) why a student might be tardy to class. We're going to take a look at how you can avoid most of them:

Wake up!
This is tough to do if you're not morning person. When your mom comes to your room in the morning and says, "Wake up, time to get ready for school," do it! Don't moan and groan, roll over, and then fall back asleep. Be ready to go in the morning so you aren't tardy for your first class. One tip for getting up on time--force yourself to not hit the snooze button.

Wear a watch.
Really? You mean on my wrist? Well, without a watch, many middle school students have no way to know what time it is. (Some don't even know what day it is.) Especially when you're out roaming the halls, quads, and athletic fields where there are no clocks. Watches aren't just for nerds anymore, and since you probably don't have a sundial handy, we suggest you wear one. If you don't want to wear it on your wrist, then strap it to your backpack.

Talk later.
This is a tough one, but it's probably the biggest cause of tardiness. Most students aren't tardy because they didn't have enough time to get across campus or because they dropped their notebook and spent five minutes picking up their papers. Most students are tardy because they spent four minutes and 57 seconds talking to their friends, and now they believe they can somehow sprint across the campus in three seconds.

The bottom line is that you need to be aware of the time. It's that simple. How long does it take you to get to your next class? How long will it take you to stop by your locker and switch books? How long can you hang out with your friends and still make it to class in plenty of time?

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Taken from "My School" by Kurt Johnston and Mark Oestreicher, copyright 2007, Zondervan/Youth Specialties. Used by permission. Order the book here: http://echo3.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=1505667&c=1473727373&m=m&type=4&h=10C109457EB26F9638D99564596C83C7