“You have until 5 to stop! 1, 2…” says the mom to her child.
Isn’t it interesting how even punishment involves math? And it involves it negatively so!
Why don’t we say, “Stop that. Now.”
Or, “I’m going to give you until E to stop! … A, B, C, D, E.”
Learn more about 50 Word Friday here.
Also mentioned on Homeschool Creations Preschool Corner.
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I always used to count down to trouble for my kids when they were young. This year I discovered that it also works on a class of unruly 13-year-olds. They were behaving like four-year-olds at the time.
They were very startled when I counted 10, 9, 8… at 7 they were like “is she serious!??” by 4 they scrambled to do what I wanted them to do and by 1 it was done. I always liked a countdowns. Never thought I would use it teaching in high school! I guess it worked because their moms did it too when they were young.
Thanks for your thoughts, Eva.
Any conditioning could work, I just fear that with no positive math talk adding in the countdown to trouble as negative math talk makes the situation even worse. If there is plenty of positive math talk, and noticing math everywhere in the world, I have no issue with it.
Although one of my favorite things is a friend of my husband that says to his children, “I’m going to count to one.”