Dad, what is tomorrow? - The development of sense of time in children
Dad, what is tomorrow? - The development of sense of time in children
Who does not know that - you are in a hurry, already in the starting blocks and the child is still dawdling around with jacket and shoes. Often parents take this personally and interpret the slowness of the child as a provocation or lack of cooperation. In truth, children have an undeveloped sense of time that is very different from that of adults.
Children live in the here and now and the development of a sense of time, which depends on the clock, takes years. Keeping awareness in the present is vital for children, because only then can they absorb everything that is important for life and sometimes even vital for survival. The development of the sense of time generally takes place in four different stages.
From 0 to the 3rd year of life
From birth to the third year of life, passing time is always associated with actions. Children can record chronological sequences in their order. For example, a two-year-old child already knows that you first apply the toothpaste, then brush your teeth and then rinse your mouth. However, children of this age have no idea of the passing of time itself, that is to say for the length of time. The day is not divided into 24 hours, but in sleep, meal and play phases. The more structured a day, the better and sooner children will know whether it is morning, afternoon or evening.
From the 4th to the 7th year of life
Children begin to sense the presence of time at this age. However, kids measure time by what they see. A big dog is older than a smaller one, with two vehicles covering different distances at the same time, the car that drove on is longer. The same is true for reading the clock. Six-year-olds can already read the clock, but they still do not have a true concept of time. Time has something to do with the circumstances of life and then it is measured and assessed.
Elementary Age
From experience, children now know that time is the same everywhere and is measured the same. They know that time passes in places they are not at. Children can now also compare periods of time and recognize differences in duration. You get a first idea of the meaning of present, future and past. However, the classification of the time periods in the right relation is still difficult: So it can quite happen that a son, whose father tells him about the life of the knights or Indians, asks which horse Papa would have ridden then.
From the age of 9 years
Only now can children estimate time duration and the sense of time more and more resembles that of adults. Unfortunately, so often the precious feeling for the moment is lost.
Parents can not change anything at these stages of development. However, there are several strategies that make everyday life and keeping appointments relaxed and cheerful despite the dawdling child.
Strategies for dealing with the childish time
First and foremost, patience is required and the awareness that the junkie is not a bad intention of the child. Constant exhortations to hurry are as fruitless as ranting or punishment. It will then be more helpful to help your child or to motivate it to higher speed. So dressing can become a friendly contest, through which your child then dressed in a jerk and in a good mood is the first thing at the door. Clues are helpful for slightly larger children. With a short-term alarm clock you can make the child experience the time that is still available for the game. When the alarm rings, it's time to brush your teeth and go to bed. If your child is waiting for something, for example a birthday, the advent calendar principle can be applied. Each passing day is marked - here are enough already balls on a sheet of paper, from which the child is allowed to strike through every day.
Rituals improve the sense of time of the child. Let repetitive processes always run the same way. This includes the evening bedtime as well as the morning departure to kindergarten. After a while, you will find that the same processes always go faster and without protest. The most important of all is that you allow enough time. Even if the child does not dawdle, there are always unpredictable such as a full diaper, a glass of milk overturned or a fallen child in the mud, which just has to be completely redone.
Patience, understanding and good organization make everyday life relaxed with your child. However, you should take the opportunity from time to time to immerse yourself in the world of your child. Life in the here and now can be like a relaxing getaway and helps to better understand your child.
I´m looking forward to your experiences and additions.
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