Alison is an executive function coach, teacher, and mom who has a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Policy. Her research centered on social media and teacher learning. She spent 15 years teaching in public schools. She now spends her time blogging and working with students, parents, and teachers to use technology responsibly and develop kids' executive function skills.
Close your eyes for 60 seconds
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Happy Friday, Reader! This Sunday the clocks fall back, and for about a week, everyone in your house will be a little confused about what time it is. For a lot of kids, though, that feeling doesn’t go away in a week. So this weekend, I want you to try a quick experiment. ⏱️ The 60-Second Test
Then switch, and have them time you. Most people open their eyes too early, sometimes much too early. That includes adults with fully developed brains. And some kids are so far off that it surprises both of you. 🧠 What you just measured The 60-Second Test measures time awareness, which is the ability to:
It’s one of the executive function skills that develops late, and it develops even later for many kids with ADHD. It’s also the skill that a lot of everyday expectations quietly assume is already there. Think about what “You have 20 minutes until we leave” asks of a child. They need to feel what 20 minutes is, track it while they’re doing something else, and notice when it’s almost up. For a kid whose internal clock runs fast or slow, that’s like asking them to drive somewhere without a speedometer. They aren’t ignoring the speed limit. They just can’t see how fast they’re going. 🛠️ What to do with what you learned
It’s also why so many planners end up in a drawer by October. A planner assumes your kid can already feel time passing, which is exactly the skill they’re still building. 📅 Coming in November: Time Management for Kids Who Hate PlannersThat’s the topic of my next live workshop: Time Management for Kids Who Hate Planners We’ll cover why the planner was never really the point, where your kid’s time actually goes (including the “he can play video games for six hours” question), and several planner alternatives that work for kids who won’t use one. As always, every strategy is shown at three age levels, with a printable to take home. It’s inside Building Savvy Parents, along with the October workshop and Q&A replays. ⏳ Today is the last day for founding member pricing. Starting in November, Building Savvy Parents goes up to $33/month or $329/year. Join now and you keep the founding rate of $27/month or $259/year for as long as you stay. On the annual plan, that’s a $70 savings every year. (I’ll update the prices Sunday morning, so if you’re reading this on Saturday, you’re still in.) The fine print: Skool asks for a card to start your free 7-day trial. Nothing is charged until day eight, and canceling takes two clicks (Settings → Billing → Cancel). Start your free week before the price changes, and the founding rate is yours as long as you stay. 👉 Join at the founding rate:https://www.skool.com/building-savvy-learners/about Have a great weekend, and enjoy the extra hour of sleep (if your kids let you have it)! P.S. Try the 60-Second Test at dinner this weekend, and hit reply to tell me how far off everyone was. I’d love to hear the results. 💛 |
Alison Eber, Ph.D.
Alison is an executive function coach, teacher, and mom who has a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Policy. Her research centered on social media and teacher learning. She spent 15 years teaching in public schools. She now spends her time blogging and working with students, parents, and teachers to use technology responsibly and develop kids' executive function skills.
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