It used to take Jacey FOREVER to brush her teeth and get ready for bed! It got the the point that I dreaded bedtime because it was such an ordeal! Then I purchased a kitchen timer and the rest, as they say, is history!
We would set the timer for 5 minutes and try to "beat" the timer getting ready for bed. She loved it and it made my job easier!!!
The kitchen timer can be used for so many things! I find myself using it more OUTSIDE of the kitchen than IN!
Here are some of the things that we use it for...
Taking turns: We have 1 computer and 2 girls. This becomes a problem when they BOTH want to play "letter games" (on starfall.com). Instead of fighting over who's turn it is, we set the timer for 5 minutes and when it rings, the girls know it is time to switch places and set the timer for another 5 minutes! This also works when we have a toy that BOTH girls want at the same time.
Cleaning time: Let's see how many toys we can pick up in 10 minutes!
At the swimming pool: The girls love to swim but I don't always want to spend all day at the pool, so we bring the kitchen timer and set it for 60 minutes. When it rings the girls RARELY give me trouble about getting out.
Bath time: Audrey LOVES bath time and she would stay in there ALL day long if I would let her. I let Audrey know that she can play in the bath for 30 minutes "that's a long time". When the timer rings she knows it is time to wash and get out.
Using a timer with the girls, I think, has given them a sense of time and is also teaching them the value of time! I LOVE MY TIMER!
Great post Shalece! We too, love a timer at our house. Parker uses it for piano practice, and both Mikell and Parker use it for typing practice. I'll have to remember to use it for cleaning-up time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Carrie! Great idea for practices too! I'll have to keep that in mind! Glad to see I'm not the only one putting the timer to good use!
ReplyDelete