“Time is purely and simply an item of data relating to our experience…
and we want to hold onto that experience.”
The British Psychological Society, (2012).
While that’s a fascinating way of looking at it, toddlers and time-telling don’t quite mix yet.
Time is a tricky concept, especially for toddlers. Their understanding of time is limited and abstract. How much of time telling do toddlers really grasp? The answer is: not much! Rather than stressing their growing brains with complexities, keep it simple! Let’s explore how to keep time telling simple at their level.
My Experience
Before becoming a mom, I remember the story about my relative’s hilarious experience with time and her toddler. Whenever she called the nanny to check in, she would ask what activities had been done, and what time they occurred. Unbeknownst to the adults, the toddler started picking up on this pattern. One day, when his mom asked if he had eaten and when, he boldly said, “yes mom, by 4”, sending everyone into fits of laughter.
Now that I’m a mom myself, I’ve unintentionally repeated this scenario. Often, when my children ask for something, I say, “give me 2 minutes”. Of course, “2 minutes” can range anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. To my surprise, my daughter caught onto this and one day, when I asked her to come and eat, she responded, “Mommy, give me 2 minutes!” 
At this age, my little ones play with the idea of time, because they don’t fully understand it. For my 3-year-old, “2 minutes” might be as short or as long as they want. I know that in due course, they will eventually understand all about time.
Can Your Little One Tell Time? How Do You Know they are Ready?
Have you ever wondered if your little one can tell time? How can you tell if they’re starting to grasp the concept? While toddlers may not fully understand the ticking clock, they often show signs of recognizing routines and daily patterns. For example, does your child know when it’s time for breakfast, lunch, or bedtime? Do they use phrases like “later” or “after”? These are small clues that they’re beginning to build an awareness of time, even if they can’t read a clock just yet.
Pay attention to how your toddler talks about events. Do they ask if something will happen “tomorrow” or refer to something that happened “today” or “yesterday”? These early signs show that their understanding of time is developing in simple ways. While they may not be able to tell you what time it is, they are gradually learning to navigate the concept in their own way.
So, take a moment to observe your little one’s behaviour. They may be picking up more about time than you realize! Let’s dive into what research says.
Research Insight: How Toddlers View Time
Time, as we know it, involves remembering past events or anticipating future ones, which is quite abstract for toddlers (LoBue, 2023). Their developing brains struggle with this complexity. However, to help them build some understanding, we can express time using simple words like today, tomorrow, or yesterday. Prepositions such as before and after also make sense to them, expanding their vocabulary (LoBue, 2023).
For example, toddlers can recognize predictable daily routines, such as breakfast in the morning, lunch around midday, and dinner or bedtime at night. They may not grasp the concept of hours, but they intuitively understand that these events happen at different times (LoBue, 2023).
As toddlers grow, their awareness of time becomes more linked to numbers. They learn that one minute is shorter than one hour and that there are days, months, and years. But full comprehension of time usually doesn’t develop until around seven to eight years old, when children start thinking more logically and are able to solve problems using symbolic representations like clocks and calendars (The British Psychological Society).
Conclusion
At the toddler stage, children don’t fully understand time because their brains are still developing. By preschool, they begin to grasp basic time concepts like routines and sequencing by using prepositions. By the age of seven or eight, they can understand more complex ideas like seconds, minutes, and hours. Until then, patience and grace are key as they develop these skills. Summarily, keep it simple, stay consistent, and eventually, they’ll get it!
Action Point
Can your little one tell time? How did you recognise this?
Reference
LoBue, V. February 6, 2023. What Children Know about Time. Accessed on 17 October 2024. Available at https://www.psychologytoday.com/ie/blog/the-baby-scientist/202301/what-kids-know-about-time
The British Psychological Society. 04 August 2012. Children and Time. Accessed on 18 October 2024. Available at https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/children-and-time