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Parenting

11th May 2019

Dad creates a genius DIY-hack for a way more punctual life

Trine Jensen-Burke

This dad's 'school report' for his autistic daughter is just lovely

Kids who get up before it is actually morning? Or, worse, refuse to go to bed at night because it is “still bright out”?

Yeah, us too. Which is why we are going to be taking a leaf out of this crafty father’s book.

Ben Brandt had high hopes for a more punctual life, so when he noticed his then three-year-old son often asking questions about his daily routine (“Is it snack time yet?” Or: “When do I have to go to bed?”), the father-of-one did what we now wish we had thought of ages ago: He made an illustrated clock for toddlers.

To help his little boy start to learn about telling time, Brandt dreamed up a spin on a clock that a toddler would understand. Instead of numbers, the clock would show pictures of everything his son did during his waking hours – breakfast, nap, dinner, and of course, bedtime.

So simple. So genius.

1447951026-toddler-clock

To make the clock, the DIY-loving dad just used a cheap clock with a print-out of the illustrations he had made, and kept only the hour hand. And as the hand made its full rotation during the day, his son would know what “time” it was.

“Whenever he wanted to know if it was time for this or that, we could consult the clock together and talk about what he had already done, what was coming up, and work on teaching and reinforcing concepts of time and schedule with him on a regular basis,” wrote Brandt on Instructables.

“Overall he really enjoyed having a clock made just for him.”

How smart is this? Do YOU struggle with kids and punctuality? Would a clock like this be a great idea in your house?