make your time count

It seems that I count a lot.  It’s a fundamental skill and idea in our society to use numbers (and a system of numbers based on increments of 10) to conceptualize an amount.  It can be an amount of objects, and amount of time, and amount of money…if we want to keep track of anything we have to count.

I’m often counting down to motivate kids to quickly finish a task.  “Okay, put away all your materials!  10, 9, 8, 7….”

Sometimes I mix it up – “100, 90, 80, 70….”  It’s effective, and all my kids know how to count down from 10, I know that! 🙂

But when we engage with kids, and spend time with them, we need to make sure we don’t count down the time, instead of making the time count.

Every second you are with a young mind – as a teacher or parent or uncle (you get the idea) – is an amazing opportunity to take advantage of filling that mind with knowledge and wonder.  Make your time count each day.  If you are just filling the void with things to count down the time – “okay, now just write some sentences” or “just sit down and watch TV” you are missing the opportunity of the day!

Make your time count each day.

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