5 Minute Warnings & Why They Are So Important!

It's time to tidy up!

Five words we have undoubtedly said to our child at some point in their life. Packing away one activity in preparation for the next is a necessary part of life. It could be almost nap time, lunch time, dinner time or time to go out, but either way we need our little ones to understand that there are parts of our schedule that must be met. 

Now, let's imagine you are at work, in the middle of finishing an important task and someone swoops in to declare you have to pack away right now, just as you're about to finish. How would you feel? I know I would be extremely frustrated and yet this is something parents do to their children all the time. Instead, if you need your child to finish up, give them a warning.

'In five minutes, we are going to need to pack away because it's almost dinner time.' 

This helps to reduce those levels of frustration and gives them a heads up that they need to begin winding down that activity.  By doing this, you develop a mutual respect with your child and reduce the feelings of frustration when an activity comes to it's end. It is important to remember that whatever your child is doing, whether it's an activity you set up for them or simply an every day task, they are learning. 

Of course, there are always going to be times when things pop up unexpectedly and plans change in an instant, but on the whole, we should aim to give our children notice before ending any activity, whether it is one we have set up for them or one they have invented themselves. 

Remember to always put yourself in their shoes. We need a little time before we can finish an activity so it is only reasonable that our children will, too. Give it a go and drop me a comment in the comments section to let me know how you got on! 

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