Having a very impatient 4-year old around the house has made us get very creative in our "waiting" methods.
Peyton has yet to really understand the concept of a calendar, and even explaining how much time is left for something seems to be a little "out there". If there is any kind of event in the near future more than 2 or 3 days away, we seem to have mass confusion.
When Logan started school, Peyton was asking several times every day when he was going to start. Answers like "Two weeks", "14 days", "After we go to Nixa" were not flying - at all. The poor little thing was starting to wonder if he would ever get to start school!
One morning, I remembered how I used to make those paper chains in school. You know - the ones kind of like a garland made out of paper strips and taped or glued in loops together? Well, Peyton and I made one for a back to school countdown. We made enough loops for each day remaining before school and hung it up. Every morning, Peyton would tear off a loop, and then we would count how many were left.
It worked so well! It was a very visual, easy-to-understand, and fun way for him to play the waiting game. I think we'll do these for other activities as well. How about you? Do you have some good ideas for "count-downs"? Share them with us!
Peyton has yet to really understand the concept of a calendar, and even explaining how much time is left for something seems to be a little "out there". If there is any kind of event in the near future more than 2 or 3 days away, we seem to have mass confusion.
When Logan started school, Peyton was asking several times every day when he was going to start. Answers like "Two weeks", "14 days", "After we go to Nixa" were not flying - at all. The poor little thing was starting to wonder if he would ever get to start school!
One morning, I remembered how I used to make those paper chains in school. You know - the ones kind of like a garland made out of paper strips and taped or glued in loops together? Well, Peyton and I made one for a back to school countdown. We made enough loops for each day remaining before school and hung it up. Every morning, Peyton would tear off a loop, and then we would count how many were left.
It worked so well! It was a very visual, easy-to-understand, and fun way for him to play the waiting game. I think we'll do these for other activities as well. How about you? Do you have some good ideas for "count-downs"? Share them with us!
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8 comments:
this is genius. thanks for the great idea.
My hubby is in the Army. When he used to deploy or go to the field, I made these paper chains for the kids. Really helped them understand when Dad would be home
Confessions of an Apron Queen
This is a great idea. I think I may try doing it backwards and making a load of strips and letting toots add one each day until christmas and then she can put it on the tree.
She doesn't have the attentions span to sit and make paper chains in one sitting so this will be perfect.
Thanks.
We have an orange and black one hanging in our playroom right now counting down to halloween. Two months doesn't sound like a long time, and when two months never changes to one, a kindergardener starts to get suspicious.
Great tip!
Who doesn't love a good paper chain? LOL. We used these for debts too. It felt sooooo good to take a link off, rip it up and put it in the garbage when a credit card got paid off! Blessings, Whitney
I used these when my kids were little for things like counting down to Christmas, a birthday, or how long until Mom comes home from a trip etc...
This is a GREAT idea! I always told my daughter, "You have to sleep 'x' many more nights". It worked well for us.
I did this for my sons birthday! My word does it help stop the "whens my birthday" five months in advance hahah
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