Two More Minutes

I read somewhere several years ago that it is good to teach children a transitional phrase.  A simple phrase to help them realize that their current activity will soon be coming to a close and it will be time to transition to another activity.

For example, "Isaac, you can play with your trains for two more minutes and then it will be time to take a shower".  

Or...

"Kathryn, we will play in the pool for two more minutes and then we will dry off and go inside."

When we first started teaching our transitional phrase, we would include a brief explanation along with our phrase (two more minutes) and set the oven timer for two minutes.  Once the timer went off, we would wrap up said activity and move on to the next activity.  Now, we simply say, "two more minutes" while holding up two fingers.  And after a couple of minutes, the kids know it is time to wrap things up and move on.

This concept works wonderfully. So wonderfully, in fact, that our children have started using our transitional phrase on us. 

Case in point: a snippet of a convo that occurred yesterday evening towards the end of our visit with friends.

"OK, Isaac and Kathryn, it is time to pick up the toys and go home."  

Isaac immediately looked at Jonathan and I, held up two fingers and said very seriously, "Two more minutes, Mommy and Daddy.  Two more minutes."