| For a child to gain mastery of the concept of | | | | try to complete some task in a "beat the clock" |
| time, it takes a consistent teaching effort by the | | | | manner. Make it fun or even funny by setting the |
| parent every day. Using a timer and having your | | | | clock to a challengingly low time sometimes. Laugh |
| child on a schedule makes it easier. Time is a | | | | and get silly with it. |
| difficult concept to grasp for children. There are | | | | When teaching hours in the day it is handy to |
| many adults who never seem to be able to show | | | | have some analog clocks in your house. An analog |
| up to work promptly who also seem to have | | | | clock is the kind of clock with a face and hands. |
| difficulty grasping time. Time is something that | | | | You can point to the clock and say it is lunchtime |
| must be taught gradually and consistently for | | | | when both hands are up at the twelve. All analog |
| children to learn it. | | | | clocks will have the two hands to mark the hour |
| One mistake many parents make is to forget | | | | and minutes. It is also nice to have the faster |
| that their children are listening and learning from | | | | hand that marks the seconds, that the kids can |
| everything they do and say. When the parents | | | | actually see moving. By having your kids on a |
| say "I will be there in a second" or "I am running | | | | fairly regular schedule for lunchtime, nap time, |
| into the store for just a minute," they do not | | | | bedtime and more, you have the advantage of |
| mean to tell a lie or to give a false impression, but | | | | the children beginning more quickly to grasp the |
| they do. If your one-minute grocery story trip | | | | concept of time. You can teach them time |
| usually lasts about fifteen, can your blame your | | | | relative to the things they expect to happen at |
| kids for being confused when you give them five | | | | the same time every day. |
| minutes to pick up their game? The kids will fully | | | | Days are also a concept of time to be taught. An |
| expect that five minutes should take over an | | | | advent calendar at Christmas is a great teaching |
| hour. Parents should be more conscientious to say | | | | tool and the same concept can be used for other |
| what they mean. | | | | occasions. When helping to distinguish yesterday, |
| One great way to teach children about how long | | | | today and tomorrow cite incidents like "we were |
| a minute or five minutes takes is to use a kitchen | | | | at the grocery store yesterday, and today we |
| timer. If you have more than one child, a timer is | | | | are staying at home." Tomorrow can be explained |
| a great way to take turns with something they | | | | as the time it will be after a child goes to bed and |
| both want to play with at the same time but | | | | wakes up in the morning. |
| cannot. Start with small amounts of time for | | | | Kitchen timers, analog clocks and calendars are all |
| younger children. Timers can also be used for | | | | handy tools for teaching children time. Most of all |
| time-outs for unruly children. A rule of thumb is to | | | | you must teach your children about time a little |
| have one or two minutes in time-out for every | | | | every day. It is a difficult concept to grasp and it |
| year of a young child's life. A child should be told | | | | takes a lot of practice to get a feel for what a |
| how long they will be in time-out. Also a timer can | | | | minute or five minutes is. |
| be employed at play time or chore time as you | | | | |