Episode #48: The Today/Tomorrow Routine

The Today/Tomorrow Routine 

Helping someone understand the passage of time and planning for the future

Today, I am sharing one of my go-to tips for helping a person understand the passage of time across days as well as engaging with you in a bit of review and even planning.

Let's call this the Today/Tomorrow Activity or routine. It's something I recommend doing towards the end of your day together and typically for parents to do with their children of any age.

The idea is that you find a relaxed time together with few distractions. Present a blank piece of paper. Write "today" at the top. Then review together the events of the day. Write each event as simply and concretely as possible - use pictures or drawings if your child is not yet recognizing some single words.

Do not write the list alone beside your child but allow their attention to shift gently to the page before writing each event.

You might even decide to put checkboxes next to today's events and allow your child to mark off each one as you review the day's events.

Then turn to ta new page or simply turn the today page over. Write the word "tomorrow" at the top.

If you used checkboxes for today

s list, use checkboxes that you leave empty for the tomorrow list. This helps visually demonstrate that they are not yet completed as they haven't happened yet. Again, write the events you know are happening the next day. Slowly, deliberately, and gently allow their attention to shift to you and the page before each event is documented. 

Start with just the big events rather than trying to list every little thing. This will help you and your child from getting overwhelmed. And remember to include events that your child enjoys as well as those they need to do - even though they may not be thrilled to do them.

Make this a routine together each night until your child starts participating by remembering things to add or starting to add things they'd like to do tomorrow.

Enjoy and for more information, tips, tools, and techniques., please check out my website and upcoming book due out this Summer.

And if you want to support this podcast, I am setting up a Patreon account and will announce that soon!

Till next time~

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