When yesterday isn't really yesterday: tips and tricks to understand the notion of time
23 September, 2019
Time is so abstract and complex for toddlers! Often, if we go by what children say, everything happened yesterday: "yesterday, we went to the park," "yesterday, I celebrated my birthday," "yesterday, I had physical education," "yesterday, it was Christmas and I got a dinosaur!" It is often difficult for children to distinguish between all past events. In this article, we offer different reasons explaining the importance for a child to be aware of the passage of time and some suggestions for achieving this.
Understanding the concept of time
- When a child understands the different concepts related to time and duration, they can understand many things in their environment. If they know their birthday is next Tuesday, they can anticipate it, count the sleeps, and prepare for it. It's easier for them to understand the actual time of the awaited day than to wait indefinitely, asking every day if their birthday is today.
- By allowing the child to anticipate events, we can also reduce their anxiety; a child can indeed be anxious about unforeseen events or situations that are unusual or infrequent. When you don't understand the value of a day, a week, or you don't know that after Tuesday comes Wednesday, everything becomes unexpected! By giving the child temporal reference points, we provide a reassuring framework. The child knows what to expect, and that makes them feel secure.
- The child can create a mental image thanks to temporal reference points. For example, if we look at the holidays of the year with them, we'll see Christmas, Halloween, etc. We'll discuss family rituals around these holidays and the child's memories of them. If we work on seasons, we can look at the temperature (hot, cold, weather), clothes worn to go outside, activities. It's through discussion that the child will build a mental conception of the different reference points.
- When they understand the days of the week, children can be given responsibilities. They can pack their lunch on school days and put away their bag for the weekend. They can do chores on specific days or know the day of the library or the evening of their classes and activities. On a daily basis, this can be very helpful!
- Understanding temporal concepts allows children to better understand others and to be better understood. A child who tells a story where the elements are formulated in a logical order is much easier to understand. If you want to help your little one with this point, aim for a three-part story: beginning – middle – end. This will be enough for them to tell their story and for it to remain coherent; they will have the important elements of their narrative. As for their comprehension, when they are given a two-step instruction, they will be able to understand what is expected of them.
Tools to use
- The seasons wheel: the seasons wheel is a circle divided into four seasons, inside which are the months and the different holidays of the year (Christmas, Mother's Day, New Year, etc.). This tool helps children get a global view of the year.
- The Les Belles Combines monthly planner: this tool allows children to see when activities, holidays, and special occasions are (thanks to magnets, among other things) and to clearly understand the difference between the different days (weekdays and weekends).
- The Time Timer: a visual tool that allows children to concretely see the time passing and the time remaining.
To discover other tools that will help your little ones better understand the passage of time (and help you organize your schedule more effectively!), explore our section dedicated specifically to time management.
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