Between school homework, extra-curricular activities, playtime, family dinner and downtime, children today can have more of a packed schedule than we might realize. That said, many kids are overwhelmed by trying to fit everything they have to and want to do into the few available hours after school. But even though most young children don’t have the cognitive skills to organize their schedules independently without help, you can start exposing them to a mindset of planning and prioritizing their time from a young age. When we teach children strategies for time management from an early age, they internalize them, which sets them up for lifelong success.
TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR TODDLERS
For three and four-year-olds, time is essentially divided into now, and ‘later’, which is actually enough to help them to predict and plan what comes next. To reinforce that knowledge:
Create a picture schedule
As adults, we can use our phone, apps, and calendars to manage our schedules and plan our days. In the preschool world, pictures are just as effective for little ones. For example, pictures like a teddy bear for playtime, an apple for snack time, a book for storytime, pyjamas for bedtime, etc. This means that while under 4’s can’t typically tell you the exact time they have a snack, they know it comes after playtime and before the bathroom break. It gives them a comforting sense of order and predictability, which is important for toddlers.
This story is from the March 2021 edition of Mother, Baby & Child.
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This story is from the March 2021 edition of Mother, Baby & Child.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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