Visual timers are a great way of helping your child with transition to different things.
But like anything in life they have to be used right for them to be effective.
So with a visual timer…
You should show the timer to your child 3 minutes before they will finish the activity. (Or if using a sand timer however long the timer is.) Tell them they have 3 minutes left, make sure they’ve seen the timer and understood. Then when the timers finished you take away the activity.
But I have seen this being done the totally opposite way round. (which often ends up in challenging behaviour and even meltdowns)
I.e Taking away the child’s activity and then showing them the timer and telling them to wait 3 minutes before they can have it back.
Now there’s a whole load of reasons why the second approach isn’t the right way…
But the main reason being, in life we need warnings.
Think about it for a second…
We get warnings for floods and other extreme weather changes…
We give warnings to children to keep them safe…
We get warnings at our workplace if we aren’t punctual…
We get warnings if we don’t pay our bills…
The list could go on.
So giving your child a visual timer before they finish an activity is no different, it’s just giving them a warning that they’ll soon be finishing something.
A simple but hugely important approach.
While you’re here…
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Speak with you soon, until then
Live every moment, Love beyond words and make a difference today…
Emma Ottaway
