Timing for children...was going no-mail

[Guest guest]

This reminded me I was going to ask you all how - and how early - you

teach your children the time, the calendar etc.

DD is forever asking " is it morning " and " is it the weekend " and " is

it 5 minutes now " . She can't tell of course, but has learnt the

significance of these phrases, as in the morning it will eb breakfast

and at the weekend both mummy and Daddy are going to be home, and in

5 minutes she has to go to bed.

I think she would really enjoy it if she could find out for herself

in some small way. Using a kitchen timer for 5 or 10 minutes is a

good idea - at the moment I think she feels I make it up to suit me!

She's too young for learning the clock though isn't she? She's only

normally bright ;-) and already has two languages to contain with in

terms of learning numbers etc. Does anyone use that rabbit awake and

sleeping clock?

Also, does anyone use a calendar? It would be nice to have a sort of

board or whatever where she could look to see which day it was,

perhaps with picture to show who'd home, whether it's playgroup day

or not, etc. Low maintenance though... my time doesn't stretch to

drawing new pictures every evening... but perhaps could manage to

turn over the page to show the right day.

Karina

Mum to Emilia (3) and Sebastian (1)

> Oh and I was inspired by using a timer to tidy up two bookcases in

> our bedroom to try it with childcare!!!! (Shock horror - not

> controlled crying or breastfeeding by the clock) I told DS1 that he

> could have 5 minutes of Nippy Bot [use your imagination but a call

to > Child Protection is not appropriate!] and then the buzzer would

go > and it would be time to put his pyjamas on and it worked a

treat - > much better than what must seem very arbitrary since he

can't tell > the time yet. (

[Guest guest]

Two of them could tell the time when they were 4, the other two not long

after they were five, although I didn't do much, if any, actual teaching.

They sort of leant through osmosis, I think! These days, most people have

plenty of clocks around and it's a matter of just pointing out the time to

them, on the whole.

We bought DD2 (with all those little cheques mentioned!!) one of

the soft fabric calendar wall hangings, where you change the date, weather,

season etc. It was great fun to do each morning and although she doesn't

bother much with it now, our naughty little cat loves to remove the bits and

pieces and play 'hunt the mousie' with them!! www.gltc.co.uk have them.

Lesley

SAHM to four

Chair, Royal Deeside NCT

--------------

From: <kbholm@

> This reminded me I was going to ask you all how - and how early - you

> teach your children the time, the calendar etc.

>

> DD is forever asking " is it morning " and " is it the weekend " and " is

> it 5 minutes now " . She can't tell of course, but has learnt the

> significance of these phrases, as in the morning it will eb breakfast

> and at the weekend both mummy and Daddy are going to be home, and in

> 5 minutes she has to go to bed.

>

> I think she would really enjoy it if she could find out for herself

> in some small way. Using a kitchen timer for 5 or 10 minutes is a

> good idea - at the moment I think she feels I make it up to suit me!

>

> She's too young for learning the clock though isn't she? She's only

> normally bright ;-) and already has two languages to contain with in

> terms of learning numbers etc. Does anyone use that rabbit awake and

> sleeping clock?

>

> Also, does anyone use a calendar? It would be nice to have a sort of

> board or whatever where she could look to see which day it was,

> perhaps with picture to show who'd home, whether it's playgroup day

> or not, etc. Low maintenance though... my time doesn't stretch to

> drawing new pictures every evening... but perhaps could manage to

> turn over the page to show the right day.

>

[Guest guest]

Sorry, I meant two of **my DK's!**

Lesley

SAHM to four

Chair, Royal Deeside NCT

------------

From: " Lesley

> Two of **them** could tell the time when they were 4,

[Guest guest]

I've wondered about those bunny clocks - at least one person on this

list has had one. I'm not all that keen on the design - are there any

others, because I like the idea (though it is DS2 who needs to be

told that it is too early to bother us)

Argos have a Bob the Builder one - I think the Stop sign turns around when it

is time to get up.

Trisha

SAHM to 3 boys

Jack 8, 6 and Isaac 2

[Guest guest]

DH is teaching DS1 (also 3) the time - simply because he is

interested, but it is pretty early and they just have brief sessions

(it's interrupting DHs work time) He was very taken aback one day to

be told " The sun sets in the West doesn't it? You need to tell me

about these things "

We are even thinking of buying him a watch for Christmas (though

perhaps it could wait till his birthday) - there's one in one of the

mail order catalogues which is marked with quarter, half etc as well

as the usual markings.

I've wondered about those bunny clocks - at least one person on this

list has had one. I'm not all that keen on the design - are there any

others, because I like the idea (though it is DS2 who needs to be

told that it is too early to bother us)

--

jennifer@...

Vaudin

[Guest guest]

In article <p0501040fb81ed69fe225@[10.0.1.35]>, Vaudin

writes

>We are even thinking of buying him a watch for Christmas (though

>perhaps it could wait till his birthday) - there's one in one of the

>mail order catalogues which is marked with quarter, half etc as well

>as the usual markings.

Argos do a Timex one like that for £7.99. DS is getting one for his

birthday.

Maura.

--

Maura

maura@... http://www.halftime.demon.co.uk

[Guest guest]

DS (nearly 4) can do the o'clocks for the time and knows that 5 mins

is the big hand going from one number to another.

On the wall we have a calendar with the date 1-31 in a line down where

DH crosses off each day (although now he's not here in the week 4 or

5 days get crossed off at once!). DS knows that each number on the

calendar is a day. So if we're on the 7th, for eg, he will look at

the calendar and ask things like when will daddy be home and we count

down however many days so he knows DH comes back on the 10th, in 3

days, say. He also likes to know when important things are happening

(eg Max's party is when its 2 and 5 - ie 25th) and he has some idea

from what day we are today as to how long he has to wait for the

party.

A nursery they have a big chart and they do the

day/month/season/weather every day, which he enjoys.

IMO it's never too early to try to talk about these things - if she

don't show an interest, then leave it a while a try again in a month

or so. But I expect you'll find she is really keen to learn

Todman

Treasurer, Stansted Branch (R5)

Mum to , 3¾

> This reminded me I was going to ask you all how - and how early -

you

> teach your children the time, the calendar etc.

[Guest guest]

Trouble is nowadays that children have to learn digital time too, and it

appears thoroughtout the house...DD2 had trouble grasping it ! it`s not

very visual is it - more mathematical...

ELC do one of those card clocks with hands to move around - no harm in

getting one of those to play with, children could start by just moving

the hand sround, then copying the hands every now and then thru the

day......

> These days, most people have

> plenty of clocks around and it's a matter of just pointing out the

time to

> them, on the whole.