"Are we there yet?" The concept of time with young children.
“Are we there yet?”
“When can I eat?”
“I want to play more!”
Young children constantly refer to time.
To fully understand how they process such a concept, though, one must take time : ) to listen and reflect on our own way of processing time.
Let’s take the example of “are we there yet?” that often emerges from the back of a car during any road trip with a young child. What are you going to say?
“About 10 more minutes” or “at 4 pm”
“Just a few more miles”
“When you are done with your snack”
All three examples do answer the question the child raised, but they may be understood differently and hence contribute differently to the end of the journey. A bored child but content with the answer will most likely embrace the end of the trip peacefully. A bored child, still wondering when we will, indeed, get there, not as much.
Which answer should one pick, then?
Well, it depends.
Their comprehension depends on the child and their development, and in our context, where they are in their understanding of the concept of time. Giggles and Chisels is grounded on decades of research on child development and young children’s thinking, but a strong belief lies in the power of stepping back and listening to young children to fully embrace the uniqueness of each child, as discussed in one of our first posts.
Once we see the power of listening, the fun can truly begin, as young children will surprise us, amuse us, and engage with us. When we observe and listen, we can also further guide the child’s learning, as we enter the child’s “zone of proximal development”.
Indeed, according to the psychologist Lev Vygotsky, children learn best when they are within their zone of proximal development, i.e. within a range of skills they can do with some guidance and encouragement, thanks to a “more knowledgeable person” (a parent, grandparent, an educator, an older sibling, etc). Right between what they can do on their own (but may get bored), and what they cannot do, even with some help (and will get frustrated. Or worse). Such guidance may be helping a young child keep their balance on their bicycle until we let them go, a hand to a toddler who starts walking, a reading buddy. And so on.
So, “Are we there yet?”.
Most children would comprehend a concrete answer, such as “When you are done with your snack,” as it connects to their own experience. An alternative would be “at the end of the audiobook.” By contrast, an answer such as “in 10 minutes” or “a few more miles” may need some additional guidance.
“In 10 minutes. It is about the time we spend when we read one book before bedtime”.
“A few miles. It is like driving to the school”.
Such add-ons provide a great transition from assessing time based on the child’s own experiences to a more abstract, universal, system. The concept of time is indeed arduous for young children to fully grasp and we will continue to deepen into the topic in further posts.
Personally, the most beautiful introduction to the concept I have seen was the celebration of a 4th birthday in a Montessori classroom. The young child, holding a representation of “the Earth”, walked in a circle four times around “the Sun”, representing the four years of his existence. How meaningful to start introducing our system of measuring time through its connection to our beloved Earth and solar system.
What about you? What are your experiences with time and young children? How do you approach time? Through the completion of a task? As time passes? Both are relevant, but may lead to different results. For instance, with teens, “clean your room for 30 minutes” may have a different meaning, and workload commitment, than “clean your room until it is done”! But let’s stay focus on young children, shall we?
Thank you so much for being here, and “see” you next week.
As always, please feel free to share your experiences in the comment section or through the contact form.