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If you already have an awesome bedtime routine for your preschooler, congrats!  You can skip this article, and just share your tips with us.

For the rest of us, whether it was the start of school for our older kids or a change in sleep habits for our infant, it never hurts to consider a bedtime routine that works to get our preschoolers to sleep on time, and maybe even get time for ourselves.

Are you in the throes of the “terrible twos”, or did you just find out that really it’s the threes that will test your mettle as a parent?

Your sweet child has started to have a mind of his or her own. And you’ve read the advice on what to do when the tantrum starts--redirect, ignore, offer a time out to calm down. With anything, the best medicine is prevention. How can you tame the tantrums before they start?

The Time Timer ®  PLUS can help you create, and keep, a routine that works.

Parenting preschoolers means occasionally (or often)  letting go of some of our own expectations of what we can do on a given day: shower, exercise, vacuuming. Since we’re adults, we can adapt (That’s why they call it #adulting). But our kids still need routine to help them know what to expect and when to expect it, before they lose their cool.

Establishing a routine that works

From naptimes to mealtimes, creating a routine can help your child cope and prevent unnecessary tantrums as she comes to expect activities at regular intervals. Use the Time Timer to help stay on track with her schedule and yours.  That way you know it’s time to put down the Pigeon book before she’s too hungry, or when to close Instagram and do laundry before she wakes up!

Easing the transitions

Keeping a routine is easier when your child knows what to expect and when. A visual timer helps him see how much time is remaining before Daniel the Tiger is over and he needs to eat lunch, or before he needs to put the Lego bricks away so you can get brother off the bus.  The PLUS’s rugged carrying case allows you to take it to wherever you go. Little ones can help you carry it, too!

Reminding him of the time remaining and referring to the visual timer will not only help him ease into the next activity, but also begin to learn the concept of elapsed time.

Tame the tantrums today with Time Timer PLUS at 25% off!  Offer valid until September 30, 2016.  Discount Code:  TAME16.

Educators use the Time Timer ® in schools across the country to help their students stay on track. But did you know the inventor of Time Timer originally designed it to help parents keep their kids on time for school?

That’s right; we love to help everyone make the most of their time, at school, at home and at work. Here are some tips for you to start the school year smoothly at home.

1. Count down the days. For younger kids, I love this paper chain that helps keep track of the days without needing to know numbers.
2. Ease back into your bedtime routine. If your kids have been staying up later because the sun’s out, and well, they can, move the bedtime gradually to avoid grumpy kids.
3. Eat dinner on the same schedule each night. Who wants to come straight in from work, or maybe the swimming pool, and cook dinner? Not me! When school starts, however, the dinner routine will be a crucial part of establishing the daily routine, allowing for adequate time before bedtime.
4. Set a Time Timer to give your children--or yourself-- a visual reminder of how much time remains before dinner.
5. Track how much time it takes to get ready in the morning, and adjust wake time, and/or expectations, accordingly. Rehearse your morning routine so that everyone will be out the door on time.
6. Re-establish the wake up call. The 7:30 a.m. bus will be there, whether you and your kids are ready or not. Start now setting up a routine you can follow to wake your kids. And don’t forget to adjust the bed time to match. The Time Timer Dry Erase Board helps children remember to stay on task and get ready in the morning before school.
7. Limit screen time. Maybe you’ve already limited screen time all summer--props to you! If you haven’t, the Time Timer is a great way to help kids monitor their own screen time. Since it’s highly visible with a contrasting red disk, it works for kids with hearing loss or with low vision. The quiet beep when time elapses keeps their mind at ease--no stressful beeps!

Soon enough, school will be here, and you’ll need your Time Timer to help with homework! Until then, enjoy summer!

Having fun with toy retailers

At Time Timer, we’re always working hard to showcase our products. Last month, we attended the American Specialty Toy Retailers’ Marketplace, the top trade show in the specialty toy industry, in Denver. We really enjoyed seeing our educational resellers and meeting new customers in the toy industry. And since it’s a toy marketplace, we got to work and play.

Our daughter wanted to be sure her doll, Wocka, had some fun, too, so she tagged along. Here are some of the highlights from ASTRA:

Kit Session

Time Timer® served as the official timekeeper at the Kit session, a hands-on session that allows kit manufacturers to demonstrate their products to hundreds of retailers divided into small groups. Retailers learn what comprises the kits and how to sell them. Time Timer (and Wocka) ensured every kit manufacturer was on time to their next rotation.

Marketplace

We spent most of our time talking with customers & potential customers, but we did take a little time to blow bubbles with our friends from Bubble World.

Game Night

Time Timer (and Wocka) also served as the official timekeeper for the Game Night. Game Night is one of the most popular events at ASTRA, with vendors and retailers playing in a fun, social atmosphere. Game manufacturers demonstrate 1-2 of their latest and greatest game(s) to hundreds of retailers, and everyone else gets to play them!  We did such a great job keeping time, no one noticed the truck that crashed into the other side of the convention center that night.

Sushi

We took Wocka out for sushi to thank her for a job well done. We met hundreds of toy retailers and can’t wait to work with them in the coming year!

For more than 20 years, people have relied on the Time Timer® to increase productivity, ease transitions for kids and make every moment count. Now, you can enhance your Time Timer® MOD with the new Dry Erase Board, available now.

At Work

We increasingly find managers, creatives and productivity junkies using the Time Timer® at work. Now, you can make it better with the Dry Erase Board. It works great on your desk, to list tasks to finish before lunch, or in meetings, where you can display the agenda and ensure you cover all the topics. If your business is all-hands-on-deck to ship out a new product, or answer phones after the catalog drops, then this timer can remind employees of the call script, or the list of contents for a kit they are assembling. You can also use the Dry Erase Board in brainstorms; even if your meeting space features a white-board wall, the Time Timer® Dry Erase Board can help teammates concentrate on the main challenges your session addresses, while keeping the sense of urgency the timer creates. The marker caddy enables you to take the board anywhere your meetings go.

In the Classroom

Teachers love the Time Timer®, and now they can pair it with messages for their kids or themselves. For a timed exam, teachers can write notes of encouragement to students, “You’ve got this!” or important reminders like, “Re-read your questions before answering.” Teachers can also list tasks for students to complete during morning meeting, or reminders about what students need to do before they leave each day. Teachers will also find the Dry Erase Board useful for themselves, with task reminders for school-year prep, “Create unit plans” or “Write intro letter,” to reminders for the last day of school to close their room for the summer. Or, perhaps a countdown of days left in school!

At Home

Jan Rogers invented the Time Timer® for at-home use, to help her daughter keep track of time in the morning. Now, the Time Timer® Dry Erase Board can enhance your at-home use. Whether it’s jotting down a bedtime routine, homework reminders or chores to do, your kids will enjoy checking off their tasks before time runs out.

The Time Timer® Dry Erase Board works with the Time Timer® MOD. Don’t have one? Pick one up today at 25% off with the code MODCOLOR, now through June 30.

Stephanie Davison and Charles Garrison work on the communications team for Faith Comes by Hearing, a nonprofit that brings together global communities through free Audio Bibles in nearly 1,000 languages. After learning about the Design Sprint, a focused and time-constrained innovation framework developed by Google Alum Jake Knapp, the non-profit team decided to put the Sprint method and the Time Timer to the test. This is their experience. 

Above all else, the Time Timer MOD is a practical, visual tool that helps you make the most of your time. Sometimes, though, you just want to have a little fun! That's why we have fun, summer colors in the Time Timer® MOD. Don’t think color can improve your mood? These summer images will prove you wrong.

 1.  Beach Chairs

Yup, we wish we were there, too. The green MOD cover can match your tranquil mood and make you feel like you are on your own tropical island, even if you’re standing at your own kitchen island.

2.  Flip Flops

With the MOD, you can imagine yourself enjoying summer in all her open-toed glory, without everyone in your office having to see your jam.

3.  Swimming Pools

Yup, swimming pools. We all love them, and maybe that’s why the Blue MOD® is our most popular color.

4.  Berries

You can have a berry colored MOD® cover to match your smoothie. But like fresh berries, only for a limited time (cover sold separately).

5.  Cabins

Bright colors don’t match your summer mood? That’s OK. Like a sweet cabin in the woods, your grey MOD® helps you stay secluded.

Summer officially begins June 20, and we have a Time Timer MOD deal through June 30! Get 25% off any Time Timer® MOD with discount code MODCOLOR.

When your child is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it can be hard to know where to find tools to help him or her with daily life. A wealth of information is available, particularly online, but where to begin? Here are five tested and true items that can help you help your child.

Sensory Fix Backpack

This backpack is filled with items that can help with sensory overload issues, from fidget bracelets to playdough to chewable jewelry. Designed to provide tools for self regulation, fidgeting and tactile input, oral stimulation and deep pressure, the backpack is a great tool for when you and your child are on the go.

Noise-Cancelling Headphones

Your child may crave quiet, but the world does not always comply. For those times, try noise-cancelling headphones, which can create an oasis of quiet in the midst of too much noise. Look for child-sized headphones with soft earpieces, for the most comfortable fit.

Weighted Compression Vest

Compression vests can help to gently calm a fidgeting or fretful child, soothing them with pressure that feels like a hug. The vests can be adjusted for more weight, and can even be worn under clothing.

Time Timer

Using a timer can help your child in many ways, from providing structure to making transitions easier. The Time Timer, with its red disk that disappears as time elapses, is particularly good for children with ASD, as it provides a visual representation of time passing. To read more about Time Timer for children with ASD, click here.

Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm

This bestseller, written by the mother of children with ASD, conveys a lot of information about autism in a clear, easy-to-understand way. An excellent resource for parents who wish they could see the world through the eyes of their child with ASD.

With these five tools to get you started, you’ll be on track to discover more resources that fit your child’s particular needs. And remember to look for resources and support for yourself, too—you aren’t alone.

We were honored when our friends at Google Ventures profiled Time Timer in their new book, Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days. They use the patented timer in Google Ventures innovation sessions to mark small chunks of time, giving an added sense of focus and urgency.

“It’s visible to everyone in the room in a way that no phone or iPad app could ever be,” author Jake Knapp explains. “And unlike with a traditional clock, no math is required to figure out how much time is remaining. When time is visible, it becomes very easy to understand and discuss.” 

We agree that the Time Timer is a great tool for businesses and innovation, which is why we encourage you to participate in Google Venture’s Sprint Week. Just plan a sprint, as described in the book, for the week of April 18-22. By signing up at this link, you’ll receive exclusive daily videos from the Sprint team in your inbox, along with access to an online Q&A with Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. 

And don’t forget the Time Timer! To help celebrate the first Sprint Week, we are offering 25% off the Time Timer MOD Sprint Edition with the code SPRINTWEEK*. For instant Time Timer access before Sprint Week, download the Time Timer app. 

Watch this to learn more about the Time Timer MOD Sprint Edition. 

*Coupon good through 4/30. Valid only on website sales from TimeTimer.com to the U.S. and select territories.