Photo Album
Hobby & Recreation Group
Remember the Joy! Counseling and Consultation
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |
| |
 |
Let the Timer Decide - A guide for helping children stay on task
Children can’t argue with a timer. You can use a timer when you want to
control how long your child can do something. This is especially important for
activities that children don’t want to stop (like playing a game with you). Follow
these steps to use a timer.
1. State the expected behavior:
Examples:
A) “You may play the computer game for 30 minutes. When the timer
beeps, it is time to stop.”
“We will play this game together for 15 minutes. When the timer beeps, we
have to stop playing and start cleaning up and ___ (getting dinner ready, or
preparing for bed time)”
2. State the consequence: Examples:
A) “If you do not stop playing on the computer when the timer goes off,
you lose some of tomorrow’s time.”
B) “If you don’t start cleaning up when the timer beeps, you won’t ____ (be
able to choose the vegetable for dinner, or you’ll lose a story at bed time).”
3. Give kids a reminder before the timer beeps: Examples:
A) “You have 1 more minute to play this game. To keep all of your time
for tomorrow, you will have to stop playing when the timer beeps.
B) “We have 2 more minutes to play together. If you want (to choose the
vegetable for dinner, or hear your bedtime stories), then you’ll start cleaning
when the timer beeps.”
4. Follow through!!!! Children will need to know your limits are real. The
first few times, you will have to show that the consequences will happen. After
children know, they will understand how the timer works.
Examples:
A) If the child reacts negatively when his time is up, say, “You have lost
five minutes of tomorrow’s time.” If he continues, you may subtract a few
more minutes from the next day or later play sessions/reading time.
B) If the child whines or cries, acknowledge the feeling, and follow
through. “Darn, you don’t want to stop and you’re frustrated. If you start
cleaning up right now, you can still ___ (choose the vegetable, get your
stories).”
A timer can help children do activities more quickly, such as getting ready for
bed. You may tell your kids, “If you have your pajamas on in ten minutes, you
get to have an extra story read to you.” If they are not ready by the time the
timer goes off, no stories and they go to bed dressed as is, which they do not
like to do. You may also use this for leaving the house.
Children can’t argue with a timer. You can use a timer when you want to
control how long your child can do something. This is especially important for
activities that children don’t want to stop (like playing a game with you). Follow
these steps to use a timer.
1. State the expected behavior:
Examples:
A) “You may play the computer game for 30 minutes. When the timer
beeps, it is time to stop.”
“We will play this game together for 15 minutes. When the timer beeps, we
have to stop playing and start cleaning up and ___ (getting dinner ready, or
preparing for bed time)”
2. State the consequence: Examples:
A) “If you do not stop playing on the computer when the timer goes off,
you lose some of tomorrow’s time.”
B) “If you don’t start cleaning up when the timer beeps, you won’t ____ (be
able to choose the vegetable for dinner, or you’ll lose a story at bed time).”
3. Give kids a reminder before the timer beeps: Examples:
A) “You have 1 more minute to play this game. To keep all of your time
for tomorrow, you will have to stop playing when the timer beeps.
B) “We have 2 more minutes to play together. If you want (to choose the
vegetable for dinner, or hear your bedtime stories), then you’ll start cleaning
when the timer beeps.”
4. Follow through!!!! Children will need to know your limits are real. The
first few times, you will have to show that the consequences will happen. After
children know, they will understand how the timer works.
Examples:
A) If the child reacts negatively when his time is up, say, “You have lost
five minutes of tomorrow’s time.” If he continues, you may subtract a few
more minutes from the next day or later play sessions/reading time.
B) If the child whines or cries, acknowledge the feeling, and follow
through. “Darn, you don’t want to stop and you’re frustrated. If you start
cleaning up right now, you can still ___ (choose the vegetable, get your
stories).”
A timer can help children do activities more quickly, such as getting ready for
bed. You may tell your kids, “If you have your pajamas on in ten minutes, you
get to have an extra story read to you.” If they are not ready by the time the
timer goes off, no stories and they go to bed dressed as is, which they do not
like to do. You may also use this for leaving the house.
On this Page
Let the Timer Decide -
A guide for helping
children stay on task
Let the Timer Decide -
A guide for helping
children stay on task