At the beginning of the school year last year I bought a clock from the dollar spot at Target. My original plan was to use it to help teach Monkey 1 how to tell time. However it became much more useful for getting her to giver herself a bath. See like most kids, monkey can become....distracted! To the point that I am ready to go nuts over having to repeat myself over and over and over. Now she is able to give herself a bath, however bath time was getting a tad stressful. She could run the water, and bathe herself. Not a problem. Then came washing her hair. OH MY GOSH! We had to either wash it for her or tell her when to put in the shampoo, how long to rinse for and when do put in and rinse out the conditioner. She would take a really long time to rinse her hair, argue about it being rinsed enough, and after bath time take FOREVER to lotion up and get dressed. She would take so long to lotion that she was often late to dinner, which led to threats of no dinner, screaming fits on her part and well not a very calm dinner time......
Enter the clock. I was so tired of the bath time struggle that I started racking my brain. I knew their had to be an easier way, right? Right I was, and so glad! I took her little clock and put stick on jewels at the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. I explained to her that at bath time I would set the clock for 12, and that she had from 12 to 12:10 to play and wash. Then from 12:10 to 12:15 she was to shampoo and rinse. Then from 12:15 to 12:20 was conditioner and rinse. 12:20 to 12:25 was to finish, drain and get out. Then she has from the 12:25 to 12:30 to be lotioned and dressed. It took a few nights of "practice" but she is now finally bathing and getting ready for dinner ALL ON HER OWN!! I am so happy, esp. since we don't have a nightly struggle over something which should be fun, a warm bath! I have even taken it a step further and we are now using the clock for bed time too. So far, so good! I would like to think that she is being self sufficient and having to hold herself accountable for how she spends her time, but for the most part I'm just glad bath time now goes much smoother, and so does dinner.
Enter the clock. I was so tired of the bath time struggle that I started racking my brain. I knew their had to be an easier way, right? Right I was, and so glad! I took her little clock and put stick on jewels at the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. I explained to her that at bath time I would set the clock for 12, and that she had from 12 to 12:10 to play and wash. Then from 12:10 to 12:15 she was to shampoo and rinse. Then from 12:15 to 12:20 was conditioner and rinse. 12:20 to 12:25 was to finish, drain and get out. Then she has from the 12:25 to 12:30 to be lotioned and dressed. It took a few nights of "practice" but she is now finally bathing and getting ready for dinner ALL ON HER OWN!! I am so happy, esp. since we don't have a nightly struggle over something which should be fun, a warm bath! I have even taken it a step further and we are now using the clock for bed time too. So far, so good! I would like to think that she is being self sufficient and having to hold herself accountable for how she spends her time, but for the most part I'm just glad bath time now goes much smoother, and so does dinner.
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