Teaching Time Concepts to Preschoolers: Why "In 10 Minutes" Doesn't Work Yet

Hello, my wonderful friend! It's me, Inara, and I am so happy you're here today. You know, the Magic Book and I have been noticing something that so many parents are experiencing. You tell your little one, we're leaving in ten minutes, or after we finish this, we'll have lunch, and they look at you with those big eyes, completely confused. Or maybe they melt down two minutes later because they thought ten minutes meant right now. If this sounds familiar, I want you to take a deep breath and know that you are not alone, and your child is developing exactly as they should.

Time is one of the most abstract, magical concepts in the universe, and for young children, especially those between ages four and five, it's like trying to hold stardust in their hands. It shimmers, it's beautiful, but they can't quite grasp it yet. And there's a beautiful reason for this that I want to share with you today.

Dr. Meng Zhang and Dr. Judith A Hudson from Rutgers University have done wonderful research on how children learn about time. They discovered something fascinating. While preschoolers begin using time-related words like yesterday, tomorrow, and in a few minutes, their actual comprehension of these abstract concepts remains limited until around age five and a half years. Five and a half! That means your four or five year old is right in the middle of this learning journey.

Here's what's happening in that beautiful, growing brain. Young children live primarily in the present moment. Their cognitive development focuses on immediate experiences rather than future planning. When you say in ten minutes, they hear words, but those words don't connect to an actual feeling of time passing. It's like speaking a language they're just beginning to learn. They can repeat the words, but the meaning is still forming, still growing, like a seed that needs time to bloom.

The research shows that children at this age can grasp basic sequences. They understand that first we brush teeth, then we read a story, then we go to sleep. They're learning that morning comes before afternoon, and that bedtime follows dinner. These are the building blocks of time awareness, and your child is working on them every single day.

But here's where it gets tricky. Understanding that things happen in order is different from understanding how long something takes. When you say we'll leave in ten minutes, your child might understand that leaving comes after right now, but ten minutes feels like forever to them. Or it feels like right now. Because they're still learning to measure time, to feel its rhythm.

Educational experts emphasize that when children understand time, even in its simplest form, they can wait better and manage their emotions more effectively. And this is where we can help them, my friend. This is where the magic happens.

Visual supports are like bridges between the abstract world of time and the concrete world your child lives in. Think about it. Time is invisible. You can't touch it, you can't see it, you can't hold it. But a sand timer? That's something your child can watch. They can see the sand flowing from top to bottom, and suddenly, five minutes has a shape, a movement, a visible ending.

Picture schedules work the same way. When you create a visual schedule with pictures of your daily routine, breakfast, playtime, naptime, dinner, bath, bedtime, your child can see the rhythm of the day. They can point to where they are now and where they're going next. It gives them a sense of control and understanding that words alone cannot provide.

Predictable routines are another gift you can give your child. Research from developmental organizations shows that consistent routines help preschoolers feel more in control and better able to wait, because they can anticipate what comes next. When every night follows the same gentle pattern, dinner, bath, story, song, sleep, your child's brain starts to internalize that rhythm. They begin to feel time, even if they can't measure it yet.

Now, let me tell you about a story that captures this beautiful truth so perfectly. In The Book of Inara, there's a tale called The Dream-Rhythm Marathon. It's about Kenji and Maeva, two wonderful friends who discover that a children's marathon course holds the dreams of every runner. With help from their friend Celeste, they learn to find their own dream-rhythm, their own pace.

This story is so special because it teaches children that persistence and dreams work together, that progress happens step by step, not all at once. When Kenji and Maeva discover their own rhythm and learn that everyone moves at their own pace, children watching or listening understand something profound. Waiting is natural. Taking time is okay. We all have our own rhythm, our own way of moving through the world.

After you share this story with your child, you can talk about their own rhythm for different activities. Just like in the marathon, some things take longer, and that's perfectly fine. You can create a visual schedule together showing the rhythm of your day. You can use a timer and say, let's watch the sand fall together, and when it's done, we'll go. You're not just teaching time, my friend. You're teaching patience, self-regulation, and trust.

Here are some gentle, practical ways to support your child's growing time awareness. First, use countdowns before transitions. Instead of saying we're leaving in five minutes and then disappearing, stay present. Say, we're leaving in five minutes, let's set the timer together. Then give a two-minute warning, then a one-minute warning. Each warning helps your child prepare, helps their brain shift from what they're doing now to what comes next.

Second, make waiting visible. Use visual timers, sand timers, or even a simple clock where you point to where the big hand will be when it's time to go. The more your child can see time, the more they can understand it.

Third, honor their rhythm. Some children need more time to transition than others. Some children need more warnings, more preparation. This isn't a flaw, my friend. It's their unique rhythm, and when you honor it, you're teaching them that their needs matter, that they're worthy of patience and understanding.

Fourth, use stories as gentle teachers. The Dream-Rhythm Marathon and other stories in The Book of Inara show children, through characters they love, that time is something we all learn to understand, that patience is a skill we build together, that waiting doesn't mean we're forgotten or unloved.

And finally, be patient with yourself. You're learning too. You're learning your child's rhythm, their needs, their unique way of experiencing the world. Some days will be smooth, and some days will be hard. That's the rhythm of parenting, and it's beautiful in its own way.

The research consensus is clear, and it's hopeful. Preschoolers benefit tremendously from visual supports and predictable routines that make abstract time concepts concrete. Rather than expecting children to intuitively grasp time, we can support this developmental milestone through patient teaching, through visual timers, picture schedules, and consistent daily structures that help children see and feel the passage of time.

Your child isn't being difficult when they don't understand in ten minutes. They're being four, or five, or six. They're being exactly who they're supposed to be at this stage of their beautiful journey. And you, my wonderful friend, you're doing beautifully. You're here, learning, seeking to understand your child better. That's love in action.

The Magic Book and I are always here for you, with stories that help, with wisdom that supports, with love that never wavers. Find The Dream-Rhythm Marathon and so many other beautiful stories in The Book of Inara app. Let's walk this journey together, one gentle step at a time, honoring your child's rhythm and your own.

Sweet dreams, and remember, time is just another form of magic we're all learning to understand. With love and starlight, Inara.