How often do you tell your child “Dinner in 5 minutes”…only to have to call her again to the table repeatedly? Or that he’ll have 10 more minutes to finish his Leapster game–and not when he “gets to the next level. Find yourself threatening no dessert? TimeBuddy strives to lessen the frequency of such battles by putting the power of time management in your kid’s hands. Best suited for ages 3-7, this colorful, customizable clock comes with stickers that correspond to various routines and activities: meals, homework and oh yes, bedtime. When you program the clock, it lets kids know when the jig is up and that it’s now time to brush their teeth, put their game away, etc. You can even record your own voice, which may be helpful for parents who travel or work late hours. What I like is that not only doesn’t TimeBuddy ‘t require kids to tell time, but that by getting them to select the stickers and affix them to the clock, they become more involved and less likely to argue over something they’ve taken a part in (ever hear how if you get your kids in the kitchen, they are more likely to eat what they make? Same concept.) With back-to-school right around the corner, fewer arguments mean happier households.
In a Nutshell: “Train” your kids while they’re still young to respect time and maybe, someday, they’ll respect you. Just don’t count on this to help you with the teenage years…I hear that’s a completely different ballgame.
TimeBuddy is absolutely amazing. We just got it for my daughter, who will be four next month, and she loves it. She came home from school today and said: ” Mommy, I have to go look at my clock and see if it is time to go swimming yet”. I guess it helps a lot that the kids can set it up themselves and put all kinds of activities on there that they enjoy. If your kid is just like mine, the clock will have lots and lots of stickers and they will be super excited to set it up and switch the stickers around every few days. I would recommend it to everybody who has a little one at home and is a bit tired of the question ” Are we there yet?”.
The earlier we start teaching them, the easier it will get in the future, or at least lets hope so:)
Glad you agree.