Wait for It!

What your kid learns

• Now or later?

  You can have 1 sticker now. Or you can wait and get 3. Waiting can get you more.

• Waiting is a skill

  Waiting is hard for everyone. You get better with practice.

• Waiting tricks

  Look away. Do something fun. Picture the bigger prize.

• Now is OK, too

  Sometimes picking now is the right choice. That’s OK! Waiting is what saving feels like.

The story: Lena waits for tomorrow

In a classroom, Lena chooses to wait until tomorrow, and the teacher keeps a promise of 3 stickers.

1. Helper: Hi there! Lena loves stickers.
2. Teacher: You can have 1 sticker now. Or you can have 3 tomorrow.
3. Lena: Three is more than one. I will wait!
4. Helper: Waiting is hard. Lena looks away and plays ball.
5. Helper: Time to go to tomorrow!
6. Teacher: I kept my promise. Here are 3 stickers!
7. Helper: Waiting can get you more. Picking now is OK, too.

The game: Now or Later?

Pick now or later in each story. Then tap to see what happens. There is no clock.

Games use pretend money and work with taps or a keyboard. Nothing is timed.

New words

wait

let time pass on purpose

Also called: patience

later

not now

Also called: delayed gratification

Questions at the end

• 1 sticker now or 3 later. Which is more?
• Which trick helps you wait?
• Is it ever OK to pick now?

Remember this

Waiting can get you more.

Talk about it

What is something you waited for, and how did it feel when it came?

Try it at home: Save a sticker for tomorrow

1. Pick one sticker to save.
2. Put it somewhere safe until tomorrow.
3. Tomorrow, use it! How did waiting feel? Say it, sign it or point.

No stickers? Draw a star on paper and save that.

School standards

• Grade K
• C3 Social Studies Framework, Economics D2.Eco.10.K-2
• Florida standards SS.1.E.1.5 (early)
• Social-emotional learning (CASEL): self-management