I’m not talking about warnings such as “do that one more time and I’ll take it away”. I’m talking about providing your children/students with warnings that their time on any given activity is almost up. Whether it’s an activity they chose or were told to complete, warnings let them know that they are almost done. This will either help prevent meltdowns if it’s a preferred activity or keep them going if it’s an activity they were told they had to do. Even better, set a timer they can see. Use age appropriate timers and language. Even if you think your child may not understand the timer and verbal cues, doing it anyway will help teach them and eventually they will get it. See our Amazon link for our favorites!
Tips:
Provide clear expectations ahead of time. “You may play the game for 10 minutes and then we’re going to eat dinner”. Or “work on your homework for 15 minutes and then you’ll have a break”.
Provide multiple warnings. “You have 5 more minutes”. “You have one more minute”. “You have 15 seconds”.
Pair a timer with the verbal cues and keep it in sight of the child.
Follow through and know that sometimes behavior gets worse before it gets better. But, it will get better.
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