Tobey: Procrastination

Of the many characteristics of toddlers and preschoolers that drive me nutty, high on the list is dawdling. Tobey is really good at dawdling. We're doing our best to curb it. We've tried taking things away that aren't cleaned up (he doesn't seem to care), giving timeouts for not listening, threatening to leave if he doesn't put his shoes on, etc. Lately, at mealtime and at cleanup time, we've been trying the clock.

Tobey's aware of clocks, especially since we have a humongous one in our living room. He likes reading "Tick Tock Dog", a book with a plastic clock built in that you can mimick what time Dog does his daily activities. We also put a clock in front of him while he's eating his breakfast on school days or he'll take half an hour to eat 1 egg and a piece of toast.

Tonight Tom said that Tobey needs to clean up his toys by the time the big hand reaches the 6 (8:30). If he does, he gets to see Google Earth with Tom on the computer.

Tobey dawdles. We try not to nag but Tom does restate the reward and time limit. He dawdles some more, complete with excuses of how the books are too hard to put on the bookshelf (feigned helplessness for attention getting is another toddlerism that drives me nutty). Finally, he decides to put in some effort and the dawdling and excuses dwindle as he puts the books away.

Then he sees the clock getting really close to the 6. And in true earnestness and fear of losing his opportunity to see Google Earth, Tobey talks to the clock:

"No, clock, don't do that! Don't move towards the 6!"

It's the one sweet moment in the torture that is dawdling. Tom was reasonable. Since he did see that Tobey finally was making effort, he gave Tobey a 5 minute extension during which Tobey cleaned up the rest of his toys.

Toddler dawdling = grown up procrastination. I can see Tobey in high school. His paper is due in one week and he decides to start it the night before. He asks his teacher for an extension. Wonder what the teacher will say?

But for now, they're flying around the world in Google Earth.