The Importance of Teaching the Value of Time

I love mixed age groups. It is the most natural environment where older and younger children can learn from and with each other.

In child care centers we were slaves to the clock and children were often interrupted from engaged play to move to the next scheduled activity. I grew weary of hearing their groans and disappointment. I came to believe that this regulation of time might play a part in the number of children being diagnosed with ADD & ADHD. Children soon learn to not engage in meaningful play because they will just be told to clean up right when they are getting to the play part of their play. I wonder if there has been brain research done on interrupted play and changes to thought processes? It takes time to figure out who you are going to play with, what you are going to play, and what the rules are before the play actually starts. This is not a good interrupt point. With family child care I can speed up or slow down the clock as needed. It is a finely tuned dance in that some days we Waltz and other days we Jitterbug.

Another way I focus on the concept of time is when I see a child fascinated by something, I stop, I don't interact unless they are interacting with me, I don't interject, I don't break their interest by adding something else now. I wait and watch until I see facial expression, body language, and vocals that will tell me everything I need to know. I also guard the moment for the child. My older kids know if I hold up my hand, put my finger to my lips, or wave them away, that this is not the time to interrupt the the child's thinking or investigations. They also know we will revisit later what the child was experiencing. This revisiting helps the other children understand the importance of time. Time for individual discoveries and time for sharing those discoveries. Without this understanding of time, verbal children interrupt themselves in their rush to share, breaking their own concentration. The best gift we can give any child is a true understanding of the value of time.