Time.

According to Hayden anything that has happened in the past happened “yesterday”.  So, imagine the awkwardness when I overhear her telling her teacher that she went swimming at the beach yesterday… and it’s clearly the middle of January. 

I’m having a hard time explaining to her the theory of time.  If you really think about it, it’s not an easy thing to explain to a child.  How do you have them understand the difference between five minutes and five hours- or even harder, last summer versus last fall? 

At first she would say things like “Mommy, five more minutes before bed… okay?” and I happily agreed.  Figuring, okay, she understands that five minutes is a little bit longer.  But then, after five minutes she would scream and protest.  Then she would keep asking for “forty-three more minutes”…  Well, she gets that 43 minutes is longer than five… That’s good right?

So, in true Mommy form,  I had to come up with a way to teach her time.  So, for a lack of a better plan, I started relating time to her favorite television shows.

Remember yesterday, when Mickey Mouse traveled to outer space?  That was YESTERDAY.

Remember when that annoying show that Mommy hates started?  Dino Dan?  That was LAST YEAR.

Your friend will come over in half an hour, that’s one episode of Dora.

One minute is the length of one commercial.

I didn’t say my method was perfect, but it kind of works. 

The other day she said to me “Mommy, it’s dark outside.  That means Bubble Guppies will be on TV soon”. 

Overall, a tremendous success, I think.  I have no idea who the Academy of Pediatrics thinks they are saying that television is bad for children.  Old school thinking right there.  Old school.  Next, they’ll say they don’t want us to give our children iPads.  Hayden can work an iPhone like no one’s business.  Let’s be realistic here- When she grows up and goes to high school, do you really think she’ll need to know how to write in cursive?  Or will she need to be fluent in operating a Mac and a PC?   She knows what an app is, she asked me the other day what chalk was… and honestly, she doesn’t need to know.  But she does need to know how to tell time… unless they come up with an app for that too.