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Uh oh.<\/b><\/p>\n Kids are impatient because \u201cnow\u201d is all they know.<\/span><\/p>\n You see, without a lot life experience and nascent memory skills, little ones have no real sense of the concept of \u201cpast.\u201d Without understanding \u201cpast\u201d there is no understanding of the more complex concept of \u201cfuture.\u201d Without \u201cfuture,\u201d there is no understanding of waiting. And it\u2019s the waiting part that takes patience.<\/span><\/p>\n For young children time isn\u2019t real because it\u2019s not tangible. They can\u2019t see it, hear it, taste it, smell it, or touch it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For instance, ask any two year old what she did yesterday and chances are you\u2019ll get a blank stare. Ask her if she went to the circus yesterday, and she\u2019ll tell you all about it. She remembers the circus. She simply doesn\u2019t understand that it happened yesterday.<\/span><\/p>\n For time-strapped parents, it\u2019s hard to imagine the very thing that rules every minute of your day can be so illusive \u2013 so NOT-real \u2013 to your child.\u00a0 So let\u2019s talk about how time comes into focus for little ones\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n MAKING IT REAL.<\/b>\u00a0 Kids learn about time by moving through it. At first it may be noticing the difference between day and night \u2014 light and dark. Next, she may begin to associate time with routine, everyday things. For instance, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are regular, time-based events that make time tangible for her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n LEARNING SEQUENCE.<\/b>\u00a0 Next comes the idea of the passage of time when she begins to grasp \u201cbefore\u201d and \u201cafter.\u201d Putting on your socks before you put on your shoes is the very beginning of sequencing, which will later unlock abstract concepts such as \u201cpast\u201d and \u201cfuture.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n TIME MEASUREMENT.<\/b>\u00a0 Actual increments of time \u2014 seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, etc. \u2014 are far more sophisticated concepts that will come to her with experience and language acquisition\u2026 dare I say it\u2026 over time.<\/span><\/p>\n TELLING TIME.<\/b>\u00a0 And finally, the ability to read the clock will emerge as she begins to recognize and understand numbers and number sequencing, and relating those numbers to the time-based events in her life.<\/span><\/p>\n TALKING TIME.\u00a0 <\/b>Like so many things in a young child\u2019s life, time concepts unfold naturally through everyday experiences and the words she hears from you. So choosing your words about time is important. After all, what does \u201cin a minute\u201d mean to a little one who doesn\u2019t yet understand how long a minute actually is.<\/span><\/p>\n Soon \u2022 as soon as \u2022 shortly \u2022 almost \u2022 just about \u2022 not long \u2022 later \u2022 in a second \u2022 in a moment \u2022 in a minute \u2022 in five minutes \u2022 in a while \u2022 just a minute \u2022 not now \u2022 until \u2022 not until \u2022 before \u2022 during \u2022 while \u2022 after \u2022 yesterday \u2022 today \u2022 tomorrow \u2022 next week \u2022 next month \u2022 last week \u2022 last month \u2022 since \u2022 once \u2022 never<\/b><\/p>\n To help your child get an understanding of time, she has to get a \u201cfeel\u201d for it. And one of the things you can do to help that process is to make sure you\u2019re saying what you mean. Use time language that is specific, contextual, and descriptive. A few examples\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019LL PLAY SOON.\u201d<\/b>\u00a0 Choose a specific time then set an egg timer, explaining that when it rings, it will be time to play.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019LL PLAY LATER.\u201d <\/b>If you can\u2019t be specific, put time in context, such as, \u201cI\u2019ll play later, after dinner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019LL PLAY TOMORROW.\u201d<\/b> When you\u2019re not sure your child will understand an abstract time concept, describe it, such as, \u201cAfter we wake up in the morning, it will be tomorrow and then I\u2019ll play with you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n But even more, when you show up when you say you will, you\u2019re teaching her the importance of keeping your word.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And on that subject, every minute counts.<\/span><\/p>\n SET UP.<\/b><\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have one, I strongly suggest going out and buying an egg timer. Setting the timer and hearing it ring is great sensory reinforcement of time concepts.\u00a0 Alternatively, many smart phones have timer apps already installed, or you could find a few short, one-minute songs your child loves, using them as the timer for these games.<\/span><\/p>\n TO PLAY.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Set the timer for one minute (or whatever time increment you believe your child can manage), then go have fun! Use the following list as your starting point, then make up your own Minute Moves! But be sure not to make these games competitive. The idea here is to have your child understand what time feels like by playing and moving through time.<\/span><\/p>\n Enjoy!<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/h2>\n
\u201cIn a little while,\u201d you answer, hoping against hope that this will satisfy her. But like every parent, you already know what\u2019s coming\u2026 the fidgeting, the fussing, the fooling around, and the falling apart.<\/span><\/h3>\n
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You have just entered The Impatient Zone.<\/span><\/h2>\n
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WHY ARE KIDS IMPATIENT?<\/b><\/h4>\n
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Now, before you allow this to become a test of your patience, know this\u2026<\/span><\/h5>\n
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HOW KIDS LEARN ABOUT TIME<\/b><\/h4>\n
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Here are some of the time-based words we use casually in everyday conversation. Try to imagine what these actually mean to your child\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n
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Is there any wonder they get impatient?<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Now, I can\u2019t promise you that precision language will keep you out of The Impatient Zone entirely. But a little clarity and lot of patience and understanding on your part may make those trips through \u201cThe Zone\u201d easier to navigate.<\/span><\/h5>\n
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TIME PROMISES<\/b><\/h4>\n
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And one last note. When you say you\u2019ll be there \u201cin a minute,\u201d be there in a minute. If you show up 10 minutes later, you run the risk of confusing her. She may begin to sense that one minute is 10 times longer than it actually is.<\/span><\/h3>\n
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MINUTE MOVES!<\/b><\/h4>\n
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