Timing is everything

Texas_Parent posted 6 weeks 3 days ago —

I caught a friend’s post on Facebook today where she was trying to figure out how to deal with a toddler’s demands for attention while handling a newborn. My solution: a timer. I usually set a timer for my older ones when I am busy and they want to play. It serves a dual purpose: they know their turn really is coming, and I have an easy reminder of my promise.

 After I shared that with her, I started thinking about the overuse of timers in my house. I have potty trained two kids on the timer system. When it rings, you try to use the potty. It rings every 15 minutes at first, then 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and finally 90 minutes.

 I also use a timer for timeouts. One minute for every year of age.

 When I was cooking their dinner tonight, I used the timer. Although potty trained for almost a year now, as soon as that thing buzzed, my son ran to the bathroom!

My poor kids are going to be jumpy about that beeping sound for the rest of their lives. But it sure is funny (and useful) for now.

 If you are still looking for an easy Mother’s Day gift for the young mom in your life, consider a timer. The versatility is limited only by the imagination.

 I wonder if it works on other people too? Hmmm…