Understanding Time

The other evening there were some playdough crumbs on the dining room table from earlier that morning. When Stan B got home from daycare he pointed it out and said, "Playdough. From last night." I told him that it was playdough but that it was from this morning. He repeated me, "This morning."

One day he left his mittens on the fire pit cinderblocks (that my dad made) and a week later Stan B sees them, runs over and says, "My mittens, from last night!" I said, "Yes, you left them there last week!"

Several months ago Stan B fell in the grocery store parking lot. Every time we go to that grocery store he talks about it. Last week we were there and he said, "Last night I running and fall. In the parking lot. Last night." I told him that that was a month or two ago but that he had a good memory.

We have started talking about the days in the weeks. He knows Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then he starts counting: "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, eleven, twelve..." We talk about how daycare is closed on the weekends, or Saturday and Sunday and how he goes to daycare Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I think he kind of gets it...or at least we are getting there.

One of the easiest ways to explain to him time is using the term "sleeps" i.e. we have 5 more sleeps until Nana and Tuka arrive or you have two more sleeps until Saturday. That, he seems to grasp more easily.

I have never had to analyze time so much until I made a human. Fascinating.