How to use the online timer
The useful thing about a timer with children is that it takes the decision away from the adult. The clock says the turn is over, not a parent, and a number a child can watch falling is far more convincing than being told twice that it is nearly time. That single shift removes most of the friction from the situations these pages cover.
They cover screen time, homework at primary age, brushing teeth for the full two minutes, a bedtime story, and the general fifteen-minute unit that fits a turn on a console, a tidy-up, or the gap between coming in and sitting down to eat. School days here start early, which makes the evening short and the routine worth protecting more than usual.
Two things make it work. Agree beforehand what happens at zero, including the awkward case of a game that cannot be paused, and give warnings — one at five minutes and one at one minute. Most resistance comes from the surprise rather than from the rule. It also helps a great deal if the adults in the household visibly live by something similar.
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