Did you teach your children to tell time? - Page 2

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

Most kids today use their phone to tell the time. They do not wear watches or know how to tell time on a good old fashioned analog clock. I see this in school all of the time. And even saw this when I worked among the younger staff.

Some don't even know how to tie their shoes. They just tuck the laces in or let them drag on the ground until the ends wear off.

They are taught at school, but since there is no practice in everyday use, they forget quickly.

I have had fifth graders come and tell me that something is in their shoes and would I help them. They get frustrated when I tell them to sit down, take their shoes off and shake out whatever is in there and then put their shoes back on. They expect me to remove their shoes for them and put them back on for them.

One second grade teacher had a student that was having trouble with math. The teacher was giving him extra attention when she could, but he was still behind. She sent a note home advising his parents that he was having difficulty and asked them to help him with his homework. The next day, the mother sent back a note to the teacher that said. " I don't ask you to wash his clothing, so don't ask me to help with his homework... that's your job"

Some parents want their kids to succeed and help them, others don't really care, they just don't want to be bothered.

Yes, I taught my kids to tell time, tie their shoes and read, long before they even entered school. Same for my grandkids.

ECBG · ‎01-08-2011

Yes, we taught our sons to tell time among other things. We wanted them to be successful.

granny me · ‎09-05-2014

Have you watched someone try and count change back? That can be entertaining.

noodleann · ‎06-10-2015

I still remember how a clock looked to me before I learned to tell time. It was this white disk with numbers all around the edge, plus black marks. There were two sticks, and I knew those sticks were the key to the whole mystery. My mother, who hadn't had a lot of luck teaching me other things, managed to teach me to tell time. I think I was around 4.

I mention this just to let you know that analogue clocks are not intuitive tools; they're actually quite strange if you don't know the meaning of those big and little hands. If people were never taught to tell time the old-fashioned way, you have to wonder why. It's a basic life skill that children should learn young, like tying their shoes, how to blow their nose, buttoning themselves up, and the like. Heck, even cats know enough to teach their kittens how to bathe themselves and basic hunting skills.

NicksmomESQ · ‎08-19-2014

@Carmie Your story about the parent who wouldn't help her child with his homework reminded me that a boy in my son's 1st grade class was left back.The teacher had tried speaking to the parents all year about helping him.They refused saying it was the schools responsibility!! The poor child was so embarrassed to be left behind as his classmates moved on!!

I don't understand how parents could be so neglectful.I was the exact opposite!! I did homework with my son & helped him study until he got to 7th grade.At that point he demonstrated that he could handle it on his own.But even then I was there for backup to make sure he was on top of things.

As a result my son excelled!! He graduated with honors from high school & college.He is currently on the Dean's List in law school!! Kids don't raise themselves.They need love & parenting more than they need things!!

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

Truth told, most time telling nowadays is digital. We don't see clocks around much anymore and young adults tell time by way of their cell phone. They don't need to be fluent in clock.It's like cursive, they're not teaching it as much.

IMO they need to know both. I taught my daughter to tell time with the paper plate clock, I also taught her to read and spell the way my mother taught me.

Susan in California · ‎06-02-2014

Yes, I taught both of our sons how to tell time. I remember my mother taught us with an old alarm clock, and that's exactly how I taught our sons.

Telling time is still taught in school, but there is so much teachers have to teach, I felt this skill could easily be taught at home.

Another (different) skill I thinks parents need to teach:

how to tie shoe laces! So many rely on velcro, but kids need that

skill before entering kinder.

MezzieStarr · ‎10-28-2012

A friend of mine in her 20s doesn't know how to tell time with an analog clock. I discovered this a couple of years ago when she asked me the time and I said, "quarter to 3". She looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. She admitted she didn't know how to tell time that way. She said she didn't know how to read a "clock with hands." She only understood digital. Her 17 year old sister is the same way. I was surprised.

I asked her mother why she never taught them, she said she thought they would be taught in school and never were. I'm in my 30s and my mother taught me and I'm sure we had lessons on it in school too. I offered to teach her to tell time and she just laughed at me and said she didn't need to know how. Doesn't even own a clock, just uses her cell phone.

noodleann · ‎06-10-2015

@MezzieStarr wrote:
A friend of mine in her 20s doesn't know how to tell time with an analog clock. I discovered this a couple of years ago when she asked me the time and I said, "quarter to 3". She looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. She admitted she didn't know how to tell time that way. She said she didn't know how to read a "clock with hands." She only understood digital. Her 17 year old sister is the same way. I was surprised.

I asked her mother why she never taught them, she said she thought they would be taught in school and never were. I'm in my 30s and my mother taught me and I'm sure we had lessons on it in school too. I offered to teach her to tell time and she just laughed at me and said she didn't need to know how. Doesn't even own a clock, just uses her cell phone.

Psst, @MezzieStarr, if you really want to freak her out, show her a sundial.

phoenixbrd · ‎03-27-2010

There are national standards for each grade level. You can look online and find out what each child is responsible for learning for each grade. Telling time and counting money are second grade level standards. Telling time is a skill that generally requires more time than a few lessons in a math book; therefore, it is helpful for a child to have a watch and the parent reinforce that skill at home. There is not a standard for learning how to write cursive but it continues to be taught informally. Teachers must focus on grade-level standards (and they are consistent for each state) as the testing is rigorous.