Long before we ever missed a school bus, I was already thinking about how to help my child understand time.
Time awareness, the ability to perceive and manage the passage of time, is something we all rely on. But for kids, especially in a world full of distractions, developing that awareness takes patience, practice, and tools that help make it more concrete.
For neurodivergent kids, this can be especially challenging. As someone who's neurodivergent myself, and parenting a child with similar traits, I've seen firsthand how differently time can be experienced. It's not just about knowing what time it is—it's about grasping how long something takes, what "five more minutes" really means, and how to move from one part of the day to the next without feeling overwhelmed.
I've also reflected more broadly on our relationship to time, how we move through it, and how varied our experience of it can be.
Helping Kids Make Sense of Time
For young children, time is abstract. Words like "tomorrow" or "in a couple of hours" don't mean much. When my child was little, I described time in more specific ways, like how long muffins take to bake, or how many minutes it takes to drive to the store. Slowly, they began linking numbers to real experiences.
Routines also play a big role. Kids may not understand the clock, but they understand the order of things. Mornings mean getting dressed and eating breakfast. Evenings mean bath time and reading a story. These rhythms help ground the day and bring a sense of security.
Something that helped us a lot was giving advance notice before transitions. Saying, "You have five more minutes to play before we head upstairs," helped my child prepare, even if they didn't fully grasp how long five minutes is. The heads-up made the shift easier.
When routines have to change, I explain it ahead of time: "After school, we're going to the beach, so bath will be quicker tonight."
I also try to make transitions feel more collaborative. Instead of "It's time to go," I'll ask my kid, "What's one last thing you want to do before we leave?" Giving kids a sense of control can help reduce resistance and make transitions smoother.
How Time Awareness Develops
Time awareness is part of executive functioning, the set of skills that help us plan, organize, manage impulses, and shift between tasks. These skills develop gradually throughout childhood and into young adulthood, and the path isn't always linear.
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Kids under five mostly experience time as "now" or "not now".
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Around ages six to ten, they start understanding sequences and short durations.
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By the tween and teen years, time estimation becomes more accurate, but is still developing.
For kids with ADHD or other neurodivergent profiles, this development can look different. Researchers like Dr. Russell Barkley have written about how differences in time-based memory and impulse control affect how children manage time.
Understanding this has helped me reframe moments of frustration. When routines didn't stick or transitions were hard, it wasn't because my child wasn't trying; it was because they needed more support. The same has been true for me.
What Helps in Our Home
Here are a few tools and strategies that have made a real difference:
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Visual timers. We love the Time Timer. Watching the red disk disappear gives my child a visual sense of how much time is left. It transforms something abstract into something you can see. It also offers a sense of progress, something to watch and anticipate instead of being caught off guard.
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Mindfulness moments. We take a breath together before transitions. It's simple, but it helps us both reset and move forward with less tension.
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Breaking tasks into steps. Instead of saying "get ready for bed," I guide my child step by step: brush teeth, put on pajamas, pick a book. When starting a new routine, we'd use a visual scheduler to lay it out and make it predictable.
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Time-based games. We play guessing games like "How long will it take to put away your toys?"—then time it. It's fun, and over time, it builds an intuitive sense of duration.
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Consistent rhythms. We try to keep mornings and evenings steady. The routine doesn't need to be perfect, but consistency helps anchor the day.
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Books. Books help introduce the concept of time in kid-friendly ways. Each Minute, Every Moment by Time Timer founder Jan Rogers is a lovely one—it teaches the concept of time and encourages kids to think about how they use it each day.
Embracing Learning
Some days go smoothly. Others don't. If we're off-routine—because of travel, holidays, or just a chaotic week—transitions can get harder. And it's not just my child. I still misjudge time myself, trying to squeeze in too much, or forgetting to build in space between things. That's okay! We're learning together.
One Moment at a Time
Helping my child understand time isn't just about clocks or rigid schedules; it's about presence. It's about making time feel real and less overwhelming. It's about slowing down when we can, and offering extra support when things feel rushed or unclear.
Giving my child tools that work for them, like timers, routines, and moments to pause, has made our days easier and more connected. And more than anything, I've learned to meet my child where they are. When I do that, we move through the day with less stress and more calm.
Jodie Martin is a freelance writer specializing in health and wellbeing, lifestyle, and parenthood. She is also an E-RYT 500 Registered Yoga Teacher, Ayurveda Yoga Specialist, and Three Wisdom Traditions wellness coach.
