Pie Chart Analysis: It Matters How You Slice It

Here’s a useful strategy to use with your child – or for yourself. If your child is spending too much time on video games and too little time studying or playing with friends, ask them to do a little experiment.

Have them write down or tell you what is most important to them and what they enjoy doing the most.  (If they have trouble giving you an answer, rattle off a list  (video games, friends, school, reading, drawing) based on what you’ve seen them enjoy doing.) Then help them put their preferences into a pie chart that represents a 24-hour day. Have them make decisions about relative importance and how much time they want to spend on each.

Then take a fresh sheet of paper and ask them to fill in the pie with how they spent the last 24-hours. When you are done, have them put them side-by-side and ask them what they think. Just let the pie do the talking and just be curious about their reaction.

If it causes a reaction, ask them what they would like to do. Ask them if they would like to hold on to the “wished for pie”. Ask them if they want empty pies to use on their own. Check in at the end of each week to see if anything has changed.

As we all know, when we self-monitor, our behavior changes. Writing down everything we eat can certainly do that until we accidentally lose the pen and pad. Making something conscious that was done unconsciously previously also changes our behavior. Ideally, we want our kids to begin reflecting on their behavior, not just doing.

Author: ahbtest

Dr. Beitel has decades of experience as a therapist, teacher and parent since earning his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. As a member of the University of Illinois medical school faculty, Dr. Beitel supervises psychiatry residents in training. He is married to "the other Dr. Beitel", a family physician. He and Joyce have two grown children. View all posts by ahbtest