ADHD glossary · Family perspectives
Task batching
Task batching means choosing several tasks to do in one session because they share something useful: materials, a location, a person, or a kind of action. In a household, that could mean addressing three envelopes while the stationery is out. It does not mean doing everything at once or proving how productive somebody can be.
General education and practical perspectives. Editorial standards.
The question here is: Which jobs belong together this time, and which should stay separate? A time block reserves a place in the calendar. A batch identifies the work that will go together. You can have either without the other, and a shared tool is not enough reason to delay a time-sensitive task.
An example: the small paper batch
In this invented example, Morgan wants to gather every loose paper in the house into a Sunday session. Their partner, Ren, points out that some papers are private and one library form is needed tomorrow. Their teenager wants to write a postcard without somebody checking the wording.
They choose a narrower batch: prepare three already-agreed envelopes for posting. Morgan brings envelopes and checks the addresses they own. Ren adds postage. The teenager can bring a sealed postcard envelope or leave it out. They exclude the library form, private papers, and deciding whether to accept an invitation.
Their stopping point is “these three envelopes are ready,” not “all household administration is finished.” A fourth task does not enter the batch simply because somebody remembers it. They write it on a separate note and decide about it later.
Make a batch card
Use this card on paper; the contents do not need to be shared beyond the people doing the work.
Batch name: Envelopes to post
What these tasks share: Envelopes, stamps, and the same trip
Included: Birthday card; return-address envelope; club reply
Excluded: Private letters; decisions about invitations
Materials and person bringing them: Morgan — envelopes; Ren — stamps
Who decides about each item: Its sender
Stop when: Three envelopes are ready, or we decide to stop earlier
Anything unfinished goes: On its owner's separate list
For your own batch, first name the shared element. Then list the exact items and check that their timing fits. Ask whether anyone else owns a decision or object in the pile. Finish with a limit that still makes sense if a task turns out to be larger than expected.
When the grouping does not fit
A person who likes one repeated action may choose a batch of labels. Someone who prefers variety may choose only two labels before changing activities. Neither preference makes the other person's approach wrong.
If one item needs an answer from somebody absent, set that item aside rather than treating the whole batch as blocked. If different household members have different deadlines, make separate batches or do the urgent item on its own. If assembling the batch becomes a job nobody wants, abandon it and choose one task.
Ask afterward: Did we group work that genuinely belonged together? Did we quietly add decisions or responsibility? Is there any reason to repeat this arrangement? “No” is a usable answer. This is an optional way to arrange tasks, not an ADHD intervention or a promise of faster work.
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