Transition Times
I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrases “terrible twos” or “three-nager” being used. While these ages are known for being challenging in terms of behavior, they also are some of the sweetest times. It’s quite a joy to see your child start to become one of their own. One thing I’ve observed with kids of this age is, they just really want to be a part of everything.
With my son, I often felt like most of his frustration was that he couldn’t participate or articulate just quite enough to be really considered one of the gang.
There are a few things to really consider about your day and whether or not it’s helping or hurting your child. As a mom, I can think of countless times that I felt extremely frustrated by abruptly having to stop something I was in the middle of, without warning, in order to take care of a need or request from one of my children. Considering that, imagine how frustrated kids must be when parents ask them to abruptly stop what they’re in the middle of. I’d guess equally as frustrated, only they can’t actually articulate and control their feeling, cue the outbursts or tantrums. As parents we do this all the time.
My philosophy has always been to not make my kids fit into my schedule but to make my schedule for what’s best for my kids. In order to do this, I purposely plan my day or routine around what’s going to get the best results for behavior from my kids. I think we all can see how important set nap times and consistent sleep/wake times are. But giving cues that a change in their day is coming is very important.
A great resource to use is a visual clock, like the one shown below. I used this type of clock in my second grade classroom all the time.
Time really means nothing for kids.
They start to pick up on time through life experiences like waiting for dinner, how long their favorite tv show is, etc. But five minutes really means nothing for kids. I cringe at thinking how many times I’ve given my kids the dreaded five minute countdown, only to realize that they have absolutely no idea how long that really is.
By using a visual clock, kids can actually see time.
Visual Timer
The colorful dial slowly disappears over the course of time set to. Some ding when they’re done, and others have the option to mute the sound. Personally, I really appreciate the ability to mute the sound. I could see this being used as a great way to build reading stamina. If your child is asked to read each night for ten minutes, set the timer with the beeper off and I wouldn’t be surprised if over time your child reads well past ten minutes. I also think it’s better than a digital countdown. I could see kids really obsessing over and creating unnecessary panic with a digital countdown in front of them.
Other times a visual timer might be useful are before getting out of the door in the morning, asking them to play in their space until the timer is off for some quiet time, and initiating other changes in the day. The only thing I’d be cautious of is overusing this. I feel like life would lack a lot of beauty if everything revolved around a timer.
After using this for a while, perhaps your child might start to really understand just how long time is. Maybe then, the “five minute countdown” might be useful.
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