Introducing Telling The Time Skills

As your child grows and develops he, she or they will learn a great many skills that are simply invaluable. One of these skills is being able to tell the time and an extension of this is timekeeping and an awareness of how long segments of time last.  

As with many things that children need to conquer, the earlier you introduce it and the more fun you make it the easier it is for children to grasp. 

Top Tips  

It's Never Too Early 

Learning about time can never start too early. Familiarising children with the idea of time using clocks and tools such as the delightful Janod Owly Clock adds a layer of fun to what is an important skill. This two sided tool for example allows children to move the hands and place the numbers on one side and work with chalk on a chalkboard to practice skills on the other. Being suitable for ages 36 months upwards this would be a great tool for working with children on demystifying time and making the learning process fun. 

Know the Maths 

Time is all about maths. If you want to help your child master the time a great way to do this is to help and support them with the underlying numeracy skills. Practice the 5 times table and ensure that they understand the concepts around wholes, halves and quarters. The better they understand these numeracy skills the easier learning to tell the time will be. 

Books 

There are some fantastic story books available which not only talk about time but which make the subject fun. A personal favourite of ours has always been What's The Time Mr Wolf, although there are so many time telling stories and activity books available at the library and in book shops. If you can find one which features your child's favourite character at the time this will help add some fun. 

Games 

There are so many time-related games out there that you really are spoilt for choice. One very popular game from Orchard Toy's we are aware of would be Tell the Time. This particular game goes down very well with many children. You could of course make your own games up! 

Practice 

As the saying goes "practice makes perfect". Some children will pick up time telling skills very easily while other might take longer. Certainly having a good basic grasp of numeracy helps. Again making practicing fun and creating opportunities for learning through play will help the process. 

Printables 

Older children looking to practice the skills that they've worked on at school might benefit from workbooks and printables (there are many printables available online, particularly on sites such as Twinkl and even Pinterest). Again you could also make up your own worksheets or similar, not forgetting stickers or rewards for doing well. 

Do you have any tried and tested tips for helping your young children learn to tell the time? 

Family Organisation

Keeping your work or your home properly organised is a task and a half at the best of times. Throw children into the mix and sometimes it may feel like a job for a team of people, not one or two. With children come immunisation appointments, play dates, doctors and dentists, school plays, clubs, after school activities and more. Trying to keep on top of it all can be quite a juggle. 

For everything to go as smoothly as possible and to ensure that nothing is forgotten you need to be organised. Thankfully this may be more fun and easier than you'd think. 

The Big Diary 

It pays to have one big diary for the home so that you have somewhere that you can put birthdays upcoming appointments, payments, trips and more. A weekly planner keeps you on track but if you have events that are planned months in advance then you need a yearly diary or calendar to note them down. 

A Weekly Planner 

This is a must for any busy household as it will tell you at a glance what is going on and where everyone needs to be and when. We love the brightly coloured and easy to customise and personalise Fiesta Crafts Our Week Weekly Planner for keeping families organised at a glance. It looks fun too so you are more likely to glance at it and be reminded of what is coming up next. 

The Organisation Station 

Having an area dedicated to being organised is a great idea. Choose somewhere that gets a lot of foot traffic (if you choose somewhere no-one goes very often it may be out of the way but it may also be ignored). Use the chosen place to have your noticeboard, your weekly planner, yearly calendar or diary, a place to sort mail and school / nursery notes and to make sure everything received ends up on the wall planner or similar.  

The noticeboard is perfect for pinning school permission slips to, flyers for upcoming events and envelopes with dinner money etc. 

Keep Clutter to a Minimum 

In order to stay organised make good use of the organisation station and the tools you've put in place there. Keep it clear of clutter so that it is easier to keep on top of and remains a place you want to visit. The same could be said of anywhere in the house. The kitchen especially can be a terrible place for collecting clutter so invest some time in reorganising your kitchen area, throwing out or donating anything you don't need and use tools such as a recipe file to keep cuttings from magazines and similar in one place, keeping your kitchen clear and tidy. 

Make a Schedule to Make a Schedule 

Once you have everything the way you want, clean, tidy and have a system in place make sure you use it regularly. Make Friday night perhaps your night for updating the weekly planner with the kids, ensuring you have time to organise over the weekend anything you might need for school or nursery on Monday. 

What are your top organisation tips for busy families? 

Do You Know the Law Regarding Child Car Seats and Boosters?

On the 15th April 2015 the legislation regarding child car seats and boosters has been revised. The full version of the legislation may be found on the website here however for a quick and easy to read reference we've broken it down for you. 

How Long Must My Child Use a Car Seat or Booster? 

The law as it stands today states that *all children should be using a suitable car seat or booster seat until they reach twelve years old or a minimum of 1m 35cm (135cm) in height.  

*Children with disabilities are expected to adhere to this legislation unless they have a doctor-issued medical exemption. In the event of this exemption being in place a suitable alternative harness or similar restraint may be used. 

 Buying a Suitable Car Seat  To ensure that you adhere fully to the legislation it is important to check that your car seat or booster qualifies as an EU-approved seat. If you aren't sure about whether yours is or isn't, or are shopping for a new one have a look at the label. EU-approved car sets should sport a logo which is an E within a circle. 

What Are The Rules For Weight-Based Car Seats Until your child weighs over 9kg they must by law be in a suitable car seat that is rear facing. Post 9kg the following weight related rules apply: 

• Between 9kg and 18kg - Children must use a suitable rear or forward facing baby car seat 
• Between 15kg and 25kg - Children must use a suitable rear or forward facing child car seat 
• Weights over 22kg - Children must be seated on a suitable booster cushion. 

What Are The Rules For Height-Based Car Seats 

Referred to as "I-size" seats height based child car seats are governed by the following regulations: 

1. Children under fifteen months old should be in a suitable (EU-approved) car seat that is rear-facing. 

2. Children over fifteen months old should be in a suitable (EU-approved) car seat that is forward facing.  It is important that regardless of what type of car seat you choose that you find one that is suitable for the height / age and weight of your child. Remember to only buy a EU-approved car seat and that buying a second-hand car seat is not recommended as even the slightest of bumps may cause unseen damage which reduces the effectiveness of the protection it offers. 

Exceptions To The Rule 

In some situations, such as traveling in a taxi a child does not necessarily need to be seated in a car seat. More information on this may be found here. Don't forget to review the legislation so that you know exactly what the legal position is. 

Keeping Safe 

There are a number of accessories that have been cleverly designed to ensure that your children are safe and comfortable when traveling, therefore happy. While these accessories are not a legal requirement unlike car seats they are worth investigating. A specially placed mirror for example such as the Diono See Me Too Mirror allows you and your child to see each other, reassuring you and them. This handy tool also eliminates the need to turn around to check on your children. 

When you are planning a trip please do ensure that your car seat/s are in good repair and properly fitted so that you may enjoy a family day out that is memorable for all of the right reasons.