GoLearn Toys, LLC is committed to extending our consumer experience beyond the point of purchase. In doing so, we ha partner with Penny Bernath, M.S (click here to see Bio) to provide you with tips on how to use TimeBuddy effectively. These tips are useful for parents purchasing our product, classroom teachers as well as home schooling parents.
Tip #1: Number of activities to be included in a daily routine
There is no magic number for the activities that should be scheduled with TimeBuddy™. You should focus on those activities your child has difficulty stopping or starting, such as TV time and bedtime and you should also consider including activities that your child enjoys performing. You can add activities as your child masters his or her schedule. However, the product allows you to choose as little or as many activities as you deem necessary!
Tip #2: Choosing the icons (stickers) on TimeBuddy™
We recommend that you choose the routine for your child, but let your child pick the stickers that represent the activity. This will create a feeling of ownership for your child and you will enjoy your child's creativity on choosing stickers.
Tip #3: Depicting a series of activities as opposed to a single activity
When you have a series of activities, such as getting ready for bed where your child takes a bath, puts on their pajamas, brushes their teeth, then reads a bedtime story, you can depict this series by using a single sticker that represents the set of activities. For example, during focus group testing a child chose a story time sticker to represent this set of activities. For this child, the highlight of going to bed was reading the bedtime story. Some parents also choose to place two stickers side by side, soccer on Tuesday and baseball on Wednesday, for instance. Children then learn sequences in schedules throughout the week. Parents may also choose to swap out stickers each day.
Tip #4: Using the audio feedback to reinforce activities.
The audio prompts are used to remind children of specific activities such as leaving the house in the morning, brushing teeth or doing chores like feeding the dog or cleaning the playroom. TimeBuddy™ includes three options to set prompts and once a set of activities is mastered, you can reset the audio feedback to other sets of activities.
Tip #5: Recording Child's Name in the Pre-recorded Message
TimeBuddy™ gives you the ability to insert your child's name in three factory pre-recorded messages. We recommend allowing your child to record his or her own name in the pre-record message. This creates ownership of the product and its' just plain fun! Remember that this message will play out when the prompts are triggered or when your child presses the main button on the front of the TimeBuddy™ unit.
Tip #6: Recording Customized Messages by Parents or other Adults
TimeBuddy™ also gives you and other adults the option to record your own personalized message. This feature is very popular with traveling parents, grandparents and single parents. You can record a 15 second message to your child. The message will play when your child presses the main button on the front of the unit.
Tip #7: Let TimeBuddy™ do the work!
Through many focus groups we have found that TimeBuddy™ works well when you tell your child to look at TimeBuddy™ when it is time to start an activity. This starts the process of your child managing their own time with TimeBuddy™.
Time Management and Kids
"A poor sense of time can stand between children and success" Barbara Wells, Education Plus (click here)
Parent Talk
http://www.indiana.edu/~reading/www/famres/ptalk/pdf/026time.pdf
Better Homes and Gardens
http://www.bhg.com/health-family/parenting-skills/responsible-kids/time-management-for-kids/
Time Management vs. The Clock
Take a poll - (click here)