From a young age it is necessary to teach children the concept of time. Because? Because through understanding time, children learn about the continuous passage of time, the importance of prioritizing tasks, and develop concepts of discipline and responsibility.
According to Reni Kusumowardhani, M.Psi, a psychologist at the Indonesian Psychological Association, parents begin teaching the concept of time to babies by establishing sleep routines, encouraging longer periods of sleep at night and shorter naps during the day. .
Children also begin to learn about time through diurnal routines, similar as bathing in the morning and evening and eating redundant refections in addition to suckling at specific times.
As children get aged, they come more apprehensive of routines, similar as bathing twice a day, eating three refections a day, sleeping not too late, and waking up in the morning.
Reni explains that there are three generalities of time that can be introduced to children past, present and unborn. “Explain that the history can not be changed, the present is told by the history and affects the future,” explains Reni.
Children do not automatically understand these three concepts. Therefore, teaching the concept of time to children must be adapted to their stages of cognitive development:
- Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years): Introduce the concept of time through sensory experiences such as sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell as patterns that can be learned.
- Preoperational stage (2-7 years): Teach children about time through concrete experiences. Establishing specific patterns will help build perceptions of the relationship between certain times and activities, such as bath time, meal time, play time, and bed time.
- Concrete functional Stage( 7- 12 times): At this stage, children begin to engage in logical thinking, are suitable to classify generalities, and gradationally understand the significance of time operation in relation to discipline.
- Formal functional stage( after age 12): At this age, children’s cognitive development allows them to suppose abstractly and see problems from different perspectives. They’re more open to complex explanations about the significance of time operation, including the benefits and consequences of not managing time effectively.
