Can you teach time management for preschoolers? To an extent, yes. Obviously, your preschool-aged child probably isn’t going to buy a planner and start dividing hours any time soon, especially because most preschoolers don’t even know how to tell time. But can your child learn when it’s time to put on their shoes and walk with you to the car? Absolutely.
Time management is a strange thing in a world with COVID-19, even for adults. However, there are a few things that you can do to give your child a head start on time management skills. Let’s take a closer look at your options.
Use Visualizations
Young children experience the world through their senses, which means that visual aids can help them grasp the concept of time management. Some apps, for example, provide visual timers for children instead of numbers-based timers. Instead of showing a regular clock, these timers may show an hourglass, a circle slowly filling with color, or a picture being uncovered over a period of minutes.
You can use these visualizations when teaching time management for preschoolers. You might set a visual timer and tell them that they need to get dressed before the hourglass runs out.
If you want to take screens out of the picture, you can take the old-fashioned route and buy an actual hourglass. There are plenty available online with various time options.
The Rewards of Time Management
Why is time management for preschoolers so difficult? Because preschoolers don’t view time in the same way that adults or even older children view time.
For instance, they don’t see time management in terms of consequences. An older child might understand, “If I don’t finish this assignment on time, I might get a bad grade on it.”
As an adult, you might think, “If I don’t finish this report on time, my company will suffer.” Preschoolers don’t deal with these consequences, so they don’t measure time with as much importance.
Your preschooler’s brain isn’t quite ready to grasp time in the same way that yours does, so don’t try to force it to do so. Instead, emphasize the rewards of time management. Do it in a way that your child can understand.
For instance, tell your child that if they spend three minutes cleaning their room, they can play a game with you. Then, set that visual timer for three minutes. Later, when you and your child are playing, you might say, “Isn’t it great that we have so much time to play now?”
Consistency is Key
Just like most things when it comes to young children, time management for preschoolers requires consistency. Give yourself and your child some patience as you regain consistency in a post-COVID world. Also, consider doing some summer activities that can give your child some consistency outside of the regular school year.
Time Management for Preschoolers at Legacy Academy
At Legacy Academy, we’re here to provide your child with some consistency over the summer. More importantly, we’re here to provide excellent, safe, and active childcare. Our teachers know all about time management for preschoolers, and they can reinforce the skills that you’re already teaching your child at home.
Enrollment is open. Let us know if you have any questions about Legacy, our COVID-19 precautions, or related subjects. The Legacy team would love to talk to you.
