17-February 2010
Dawdling is a normal part of development during the toddler years (and beyond!). It serves the important purpose of providing young children with the time they need to learn. "Children need time to explore their surroundings, to play and to investigate the natural things that go on in their lives," says Linda Jessup, founder of The Parent Encouragement Program in Kensington. Children need time to watch a leaf blow along the ground or feel raindrops fall.
Toddlers tend to do whatever catches their attention at that particular moment. "Their ideas on how to spend their time are far more interesting to them than adhering to a schedule, so they are easily distracted," says Shari Steelsmith, author of Go to Your Room: Consequences That Teach. In most cases, a child isn't intentionally trying to irritate mom when she goes to her room to get her shoes and spends the next 10 minutes playing with her toys. She just got distracted by her favorite toys and forgot all about the shoes.
Finally, time is an abstract concept to children. "Saying, 'We need to leave in five minutes,' means nothing to a toddler," Jessup says. That doesn't mean you shouldn't begin teaching them about time, however. Setting a timer or using a play clock to demonstrate the concept of time helps build the foundation for learning about time. But experts agree that most children don't understand the nuances of time until somewhere between ages 6 and 8.
Disarming the Dawdler
by Lynne Ticknor, M.A.
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I've said this too many times, “I'm not a morning person!”
That doesn't mean I can't get up early in the morning. It just makes me really really grumpy.
David says I ought to be more cheery and set a good example for Faith, who's probably starting to resent waking up at 5:30 AM to get ready for school. I think he's right.
Unfortunately, it's so much easier said than done. Especially when you're dealing with a mega slowpoke 6-year old kid who seems to be daydreaming all the time. David says I'm just as bad when I'm getting ready to go out. I beg to disagree. I don't think I'm that slow. My problem is that I've got too many rituals and I'm too obsessive-compulsive to not do all my daily ablutions even when we're in a hurry (hmmm... that does sound just as bad -- maybe even worse!).
Over the last couple of weeks nonetheless, I noticed that Faith's easier to wake up and is moving a bit faster now. As a result I think I've also become less grumpy. I reckon it should be the other way around -- I'm more pleasant hence, she's more enthusiastic to get up early in the morning (and enjoy life whilst it's still so much simpler!). But kids are really smarter than adults. So she must have figured out that becoming more agreeable would make it easier to “control” me.
Now I'm all, “Oh, my daughter is just sooo adorable!”
That doesn't mean I can't get up early in the morning. It just makes me really really grumpy.
David says I ought to be more cheery and set a good example for Faith, who's probably starting to resent waking up at 5:30 AM to get ready for school. I think he's right.
Unfortunately, it's so much easier said than done. Especially when you're dealing with a mega slowpoke 6-year old kid who seems to be daydreaming all the time. David says I'm just as bad when I'm getting ready to go out. I beg to disagree. I don't think I'm that slow. My problem is that I've got too many rituals and I'm too obsessive-compulsive to not do all my daily ablutions even when we're in a hurry (hmmm... that does sound just as bad -- maybe even worse!).
Over the last couple of weeks nonetheless, I noticed that Faith's easier to wake up and is moving a bit faster now. As a result I think I've also become less grumpy. I reckon it should be the other way around -- I'm more pleasant hence, she's more enthusiastic to get up early in the morning (and enjoy life whilst it's still so much simpler!). But kids are really smarter than adults. So she must have figured out that becoming more agreeable would make it easier to “control” me.
Now I'm all, “Oh, my daughter is just sooo adorable!”
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Dawdling is a normal part of development during the toddler years (and beyond!). It serves the important purpose of providing young children with the time they need to learn. "Children need time to explore their surroundings, to play and to investigate the natural things that go on in their lives," says Linda Jessup, founder of The Parent Encouragement Program in Kensington. Children need time to watch a leaf blow along the ground or feel raindrops fall.Toddlers tend to do whatever catches their attention at that particular moment. "Their ideas on how to spend their time are far more interesting to them than adhering to a schedule, so they are easily distracted," says Shari Steelsmith, author of Go to Your Room: Consequences That Teach. In most cases, a child isn't intentionally trying to irritate mom when she goes to her room to get her shoes and spends the next 10 minutes playing with her toys. She just got distracted by her favorite toys and forgot all about the shoes.
Finally, time is an abstract concept to children. "Saying, 'We need to leave in five minutes,' means nothing to a toddler," Jessup says. That doesn't mean you shouldn't begin teaching them about time, however. Setting a timer or using a play clock to demonstrate the concept of time helps build the foundation for learning about time. But experts agree that most children don't understand the nuances of time until somewhere between ages 6 and 8.
Disarming the Dawdler
by Lynne Ticknor, M.A.







