Goodtimer Help Center

Yes, they really do.

Okay, but why? Well, every kid's different, right? So, to get the most out of Goodtimer, it's best if each child has their very own. Goodtimer works its magic when it's personalized for each kiddo. It's like having a little behavior coach tailored just for them, giving them high-fives with positive sounds and visuals whenever they're making good choices.

With their own Goodtimer, kids learn to take responsibility for their actions. They know exactly what they need to do to earn those tokens and what treats they can swap them for. And if they slip up on the house rules, they can flip it to pause their Good Time until they're back on track.

Now, here's the thing: sharing one Goodtimer among siblings? Not the best idea. It ends up being more about keeping tabs on each other's behavior than focusing on their own. And let's be real, kids can't control what their brothers or sisters do, right? So, holding them accountable for someone else's actions just leads to more drama.

Most families find that one Goodtimer per kid works like a charm. Trust us, we've heard it loud and clear from them. So, if you want to make sure Goodtimer brings out the best in each of your kiddos, you’ll want one for each child aged 3 to 10.

We designed Goodtimer for kids aged 3 to 10. But hey, some families have seen it work like magic with toddlers as young as 2, while others have had better results starting a little later. It just really depends on your child's developmental stage.

Goodtimer 2 (works with App):

The Goodtimer 2’s battery will last about 2 days per charge. When the battery is getting low, a little red LED light on the back of the device by the charging port will light up red to indicate that it needs to be plugged in. You may also notice that all of the Goodtimer’s lights will be dimmed to conserve remaining battery power. While plugged in and charging, the LED will remain lit up red. When charging is complete, that red LED will turn off, indicating that charging is complete. If you are using the Goodtimer App, you will also receive a push notification when the device needs to be plugged in.

Always plug the charging cable directly into a wall outlet, instead of a power strip or surge protector, to ensure the best charging experience.

Original Goodtimer (does not work with App):

The original Goodtimer’s battery can last about 4 days between charges, since it does not communicate with the Goodtimer App. You will know that your Goodtimer needs to be charged when the little LED light on the back of the device, next to the charging port, lights up red. When plugged in and charging that little light will turn green. Once it is fully charged that little LED will go out.

Always plug the charging cable directly into a wall outlet, instead of a power strip or surge protector, to ensure the best charging experience.

Goodtimer has a built-in, rechargeable battery, and comes with its own ac adapter. While we do recommend getting in the habit of charging it regularly, it can last about 2 days per charge, depending on the brightness setting of the lights.

This is actually a common question, as we all know that young kids (and even some older ones) need robust toys. 

We designed Goodtimer to be tough but it is an electronic device so can only take so much abuse. We warrant against manufacturing and material defects but not damage caused by misuse. We also offer a 30 day return period, so you can check it out and see if you think it will work for your family. You can see both our warranty and return policy on our website here: https://gogoodtimer.com/policies/refund-policy

If you are concerned about how gentle your kids might be with Goodtimer we would recommend making one of your House Rules something like, "Take good care of my things." This way, as long as they are being nice to their Goodtimer, your kids will be able to earn Good Time. Each Goodtimer also comes with a storybook that personifies Goodtimer and asks kids to teach their Goodtimer how to be good by setting a good example for it, which can help encourage them to treat it gently. We even have some families that have chosen to keep their Goodtimer up on a countertop or shelf, so their little ones aren't trying to carry it around the house but they can still easily see the lights and hear the encouraging sounds throughout the day.

Spotting the difference between Goodtimer and Goodtimer 2 is easy! The original Goodtimer is all white, while Goodtimer 2 features a green speaker and base. The most significant difference, however, is that ONLY Goodtimer 2 works with the Goodtimer mobile app, whereas the original Goodtimer DOESN'T, as it lacks the necessary technology to connect to wifi.

With Goodtimer 2 and the Goodtimer app, you gain access to valuable parenting resources to help navigate behavior challenges, a dashboard to track your child's progress, notifications of your child’s achievements, and the ability to control Goodtimer remotely using your phone. Both versions of Goodtimer come with an AC adapter/charging cable, "The Clockmaker’s Creation" children’s book, a quick start guide, 32 reusable tokens, a plush token pouch, and a sticker sheet to personalize your Goodtimer.

Launched in 2020, the original Goodtimer is a standalone device that doesn’t connect to the Goodtimer mobile app. Goodtimer 2, released in June 2024, is designed to work seamlessly with the Goodtimer app (additional charges may apply).

Our team is working on creating a version of the Goodtimer app for Android and we hope to release it Fall 2024.  Website subscribers will receive an email once the app is available and we’ll also post the update to our website and social media channels. So if you are interested, please sign up for our email newsletter (at the bottom of our website pages) or follow us on social media.

Alright, let's break it down! Goodtimer gives you ten levels to play with. Now, each of these levels tweaks how tough it is for your kiddo to earn those precious tokens. Level 1? Easy-peasy, this level gives tokens the fastest. Level 10? That's where the real challenge kicks in, because your kid will need to exercise their patience and be good over a longer period of time to get a token. Basically, whichever level you pick decides how much Good Time your child needs to rack up before they snag a token.

Product update: Now earn tokens faster! 

Effective December 1st, 2021, all-new Goodtimers include a software update allowing kids to earn tokens faster! Read below to learn more:

To determine if your Goodtimer is an original or new version, set your Goodtimer to Level 1 and note the time. The original version of Goodtimer takes 40 minutes at Level 1 for the first segment to light up and the next segment to begin to pulse, while the new version takes just 15 minutes for one of the 12 glowing segments to be earned.  When a segment is earned, Goodtimer will chime and the next segment will begin to glow. If it only takes 15 minutes, you have a new version of Goodtimer. The number of tokens your child will earn depends on how much 'Good Time' your child is earning on any given day (some days are going to be more challenging than others) but you can usually expect them to earn 2-8 tokens per day depending on the difficulty setting. 

Maximum Tokens/Day with New Version

Goodtimer has 10 difficulty levels, allowing it to work for kids of different ages. When set to Level 1, one of the 12 segments will light up every 15 minutes, so your child will earn one token every 3 hours of Good Time, for a maximum of 8 tokens in a 24-hour period. On Level 10, new segments light up once every 60 minutes, taking 12 hours to fully light up the Goodtimer and earn a token, giving them a max of 2 tokens a day. Knowing this, you can set appropriate token values for the available rewards your child can earn. These are the maximum rates for each level on a new version of Goodtimer:

Level 1, up to 8 tokens/day

Level 2, up to 7 tokens/day

Level 3, up to 6.5 tokens/day

Level 4, up to 6 tokens/day 

Level 5, up to 5.5 tokens/day

Level 6, up to 5 tokens/day

Level 7, up to 4 tokens/day

Level 8, up to 3.5 tokens/day

Level 9, up to 3 tokens/day 

Level 10, up to 2 tokens/day

If you have an original version of Goodtimer it will earn tokens as follows. At Level 1 it takes 40 minutes for each of the 12 segments to light up, 8 hours for the whole Goodtimer to light up and a token to be earned. This gives the potential of earning up to 3 tokens per day. At Level 10 it takes 60 minutes for each segment to light up and 12 hours for the entire thing to light up and a token to be earned. This gives the potential of earning up to 2 tokens per day. Each level in between adds about 2.22 minutes to how long it takes for each segment to light up, so you can fine-tune how fast your child earns tokens.

Please reach out to us at hello@gogoodtimer.com if you have any questions about this.

Goodtimer is designed to be super portable so it can go wherever your family goes. Normally, Good Time is activated and deactivated by flipping Goodtimer over. But we understand that when you’re on the move, it might be bouncing around in a bag or the backseat. That’s where Travel Mode comes in! Simply press the Travel button on the bottom of the device to toggle Travel Mode on/off. When on, Travel Mode turns off the flip sensor and instead uses the touch-activated metal contact ring around the speaker. Just touch the ring to toggle Good Time on and off, instead of flipping the device over.

If you’re flying and worried about keeping your child entertained, you can set Goodtimer to Travel Mode and pop it in your carry-on. It’s lightweight, less than a pound, so it’s easy to bring along. Remember, though, it has to go through TSA screening. Just put it in a bin since it has a battery, and if anyone asks, you can say it’s a nightlight/sound machine for your child. On the plane, you might want to turn the volume down low or even off so it doesn’t disturb other passengers.

Many families have found that bringing Goodtimer on trips helps manage tricky behaviors. It’s been especially useful during long car rides, dining out, and during downtime at the hotel. That said, we recommend leaving Goodtimer in your hotel room or lodging if you’re planning to do a lot of walking or swimming.

Turning Goodtimer over simply pauses the timer, it does not reset it. This way, children retain the credit they have earned by being good and following family rules, even when they are temporarily off of Good Time. Once their behavior improves and Goodtimer is flipped back right-side up, the timer picks right back up where it was. In this way, Goodtimer is consistently reinforcing the positive rewards of being good. However, there is a recessed, reset button on the bottom of the device, if you ever need to set the timer back to zero.

It's really common for kids to find that telling the truth sometimes harder than lying. Goodtimer is an award-winning positive reinforcement toy that helps encourage honesty, including not taking unearned tokens.

Here's a quick refresher: Once enough Good Time is earned, all light segments glow, Goodtimer celebrates, and the center button lights up to indicate a token is earned. When this button is glowing, your child can press it to take a token.

Tokens can be removed from the dispenser at any time, even if not earned. To discourage this, many parents make "being honest" a house rule and use Goodtimer to reinforce this behavior. Knowing the starting number of tokens and how often they can be earned (2-8 a day) makes it easy to track.

Some families keep the earned tokens separate, storing them in a bowl or jar out of reach. When a token is earned, the child presses the nose button, the parent gives them a token, and the child places it into the dispenser.

We support families using Goodtimer in whatever way works best for them.

We recommend that Goodtimer remain on as long as your child is making good choices and following your house rules as defined by your family. When reading the Goodtimer Children's book, you may have seen the worksheet after page 21 where you define your "house rules". If you haven't done this already, we encourage you to work on your house rules as a family and make sure everyone understands them. If, for example, your house rules include going to bed on time and staying in bed through the night, and your child is doing this, we recommend leaving Goodtimer on through the night. Your child will continue to earn Good Time through the night and may even be excited to see that they earned a token in the morning. If Goodtimer stays by their bedside at night, it can serve as a nightlight. However, you may want to adjust the brightness by touching the metal contact ring around the speaker on the top to dim the light to a level that is comfortable for your child. You may also want to use the left button on the front of Goodtimer to lower the volume to the lowest setting or to mute it so that Goodtimer's voice doesn't disturb them while they sleep.

We designed Goodtimer with the idea that, as a default, it should be on all day and night as a constant glowing reminder that our kids are, for the most part, doing their best to make good choices. If we acknowledge and encourage good behavior it’s more likely to continue. If you have a good relationship with your child's teacher, we recommend that you tell them about your house rules and how you use Goodtimer to encourage your child to make good choices. We think it’s also important that you learn about the teacher’s expectations for good behavior in the classroom so that you can reinforce this with your child when they’re at home.  Setting and communicating clear expectations with your child is perhaps the most important part of helping them form good habits that last. In the morning, when your child leaves for school, you can remind them that their Goodtimer will remain on during the day and they’ll earn Good Time as long as they’re making good choices while they’re at school.  However, if they misbehave in school and the teacher sends home a negative report, they’ll have to pause their Goodtimer as a consequence of their behavior.  This should help encourage your child to continue to make good choices during the school day.  This way, when your child comes home in the afternoon they may be happy to learn they earned a Goodtimer token for making good choices throughout the day.  However, if your child comes home with a not-so-shiny report from his teacher that day, your child can flip Goodtimer over when he comes home allowing you to take the time to connect with him/her and find ways  to make amends so he/she can start earning Good Time again.

If a child breaks a house rule, we recommend that parents instruct the child to flip their Goodtimer over, pausing Good Time as a natural consequence for their choice. However, unlike a timeout where the child feels isolated to work through their feelings on their own, Goodtimer encourages the family to take a ‘time-in’ to review the house rules, understand why the behavior occurred, and work together to make amends and get back on track. When Good Time is paused, Goodtimer also offers verbal prompts such as “you can do better,” which further encourages kids to improve their behavior. When using traditional timeouts the focus can often be on punishing bad behavior by isolating children as a punishment.

Every Goodtimer 2 comes with a fun set of stickers that match the default House Rules in the Goodtimer app. You can stick them on the light-up dome of the Goodtimer device to give kids a visual reminder or place them on the House Rules list and display it somewhere handy at home. This way, everyone knows what's expected, and it makes sticking to the House Rules a breeze. It’s a great way to keep the whole family on the same page and encourage positive behavior in a fun and engaging way.

We encourage your child to name their Goodtimer, to make it their own, so we include different colored stickers that have room to write a name. This is especially important for families with multiple children, so you can easily tell their Goodtimers apart. Pick a color, give it a name, have a good time with it!

Goodtimer tokens come with a value of 1 each. But we want to give families the most flexibility in customizing their Goodtimer experience, so we include stickers that can be applied to boost the value of some tokens. Children can either earn higher value tokens or trade in lower value tokens for a higher value one, helping them to learn that five 1 tokens equals one 5 token, etc. But ultimately, how your family decides to use Goodtimer and the tokens is 100% up to your family.

We believe that every family should create house rules that are consistent with their individual values. However, we’re often asked for suggestions for house rules by families who are new to Goodtimer.  Here are a few ideas we hope will inspire you to create house rules that work for your family:

For young children, it’s best to keep things simple and start out with just a few (3-5) house rules. 

• Be kind and gentle

• Use your words

• Inside voices

• Be a first time listener

• Make healthy choices (this can apply to picky eaters and kids who struggle with bath time and brushing teeth)

For school-age kids your rules can evolve as they are ready to take on more responsibility

• Patience is waiting without complaining

• Get yourself ready for school on time

• Get yourself ready for bed on time

• Keep your room clean and tidy

• Contribute to the family before exchanging tokens

We recommend your house rules include desired behaviors rather than “don’t” statements. For example: “Use your words” is recommended over “no hitting” because it puts the emphasis on the desired behavior.  Make sure everyone in the family understands what is expected of them and display the list of rules where everyone can see it.  If your children are too young to read you can include simple pictures to help them remember. Setting clear expectations is the first step to forming good habits that last.

Your child has earned a stack of Goodtimer tokens, now what? Sometimes, coming up with exciting, enticing things for your kid to earn is tough, but there is no need to stress or break the bank to encourage your little ones to keep being their best. Sometimes toys and special treats will work, sometimes it's the experiences that motivate them. Younger children typically aren’t as good at waiting, so smaller prizes may work best. Older kids will figure out how to get the most bang out of a buck, so setting bigger goals will help them learn about patience and saving. When setting up a list of potential rewards to be earned, remember, whatever works for your family is the best way to go.

Some ideas that we have used are:

• 2 Tokens for a Dollar Store toy or gumball machine prize

• 5 Tokens for 20 minutes extra screen time

• 5 Tokens for Ice cream sundae for dessert

• 10 tokens for Activity with mom or dad all to myself

• 10 Tokens to stay up 30 minutes later on Friday or Saturday night.

• 30 Tokens for Seeing a movie at the theater

• 50 Tokens for Manicure with Mom

• 60 Tokens for a $30 shopping spree at favorite store

Start by asking your child to turn their Goodtimer upside down. If they refuse, it is okay for you to turn it over for them, but always give them the chance to do it first. A critical element of the Goodtimer experience is that your child takes responsibility for their own behavior, so keeping them involved in the whole process as much as possible helps them learn. Once Good Time is paused, if they need to take a few moments to calm down, give them that time. When they are calm, discuss why Good Time had to be paused and ask them what they think they should do to make amends for their behavior. Making amends can include, stating what they did, saying or acting out what they should have done instead, apologizing, and then offering an act of kindness to the other person involved. A kindness could be a hug, sharing a toy or treat, doing a good deed, etc. Once they have made amends, give them permission to turn their Goodtimer rightside up again. Sometimes it may only be paused for a couple minutes, other times it may take a lot longer, it really depends on the child's emotional state and how quickly they turn their behavior around.

We recommend that your child turn their Goodtimer over on their own if possible. When they do it for themselves, it helps them make the connection between their choices and natural consequences. If your child refuses to flip Goodtimer over for making a bad choice, this is actually a good sign because it shows that they’re making that connection and that Goodtimer is working to motivate them to continue to earn more Good Time. If they refuse to turn it over it is ok for you to do it for them, just know that you’re not alone and many Goodtimer parents have to pause Goodtimer for their kids when they’re first getting started. 

While every family should do what works best for them, if one of our children is breaking a house rule we usually give them a warning/reminder first. For example, “If you don’t go to bed on time you’re going to have to turn over your Goodtimer.” Then if they still won’t listen we say, “please turn your Goodtimer over for not being a first time listener.” (That’s one of our house rules.) Then we say, “if you hurry up to bed and do a good job with your bedtime routine you can turn your Goodtimer back over. If not, it’ll have to stay off all night.” This usually provides the motivation needed to hurry up to bedtime. So, make sure to connect their behavior with the specific rule and explain what you want them to do. Clarity and consistency in expectations help kids learn the fastest.

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐡𝐲 - Once your child calms down and comes back to you to get their Goodtimer right-side-up, make sure he tells you why he had to turn his Goodtimer off. You might start by asking “Do you know why you had to pause your Goodtimer?” If he doesn’t know why you can tell him. “You had to turn your Goodtimer over because you broke our house rule of “listen to mom and dad” and you can’t earn “Good Time” when you do not listen to mom and dad.” It’s also important that your child understands the reason for your house rule, so you might ask “Do you know why it is important to listen to mom and dad?” or “If you needed to tell mom something, how would you feel if she didn’t listen to what you had to say?” Taking this time to make sure your child understands your house rule, why it’s important, and why his choice was not good is so important to the learning process.

𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 - We recommend that your child make an effort to make amends for his bad choice in a way that’s relevant to the house rule that was broken. For example, if he did not listen to mom and dad, he may have to do a good deed to make it right. This could be writing an apology note, drawing a picture, giving mom a hug, or helping dad with a job around the house. The key is that he understands that he did something wrong and it takes action on his part to make it right. You can ask your son, “What do you think you can do to make dad feel better?” and if he doesn’t have any ideas you can give him some choices like “Would you like to draw dad a picture or write dad an apology note?” Then, you can say “Once you make it right, you can turn your Goodtimer back over” and step back and see what happens. BE FIRM!  It may be hard at first, but since your child wants to get back to earning Good Time, he has the motivation to do something nice to make it right.

We always encourage families to do what works best for them, but we recommend that instead of focusing on the amount of time Goodtimer stays off, focus on your child making amends for their choices.  For example, if your house rule is “use your voice not your hands when you’re upset”, it’s important for your child to understand the reason for this house rule.  In general, if your child breaks a house rule, we recommend the following three steps:

1. Turn it over - Have your child turn over their Goodtimer, and firmly tell your child that you can talk about turning it back over once he (or both of you) calm down.  It’s really important that your child calm down first.  When we’re upset, it’s very difficult for our brains to learn and positive discipline is all about learning from our mistakes

2. Understand Why? Once your child calms down and comes back to you to get their Goodtimer right-side-up make sure he tells you why he had to turn his Goodtimer off.  You might start by asking “Do you know why you turned your Goodtimer off?” If he doesn’t know why, you can tell him.  “You had to turn your Goodtimer over, because you broke our house rule of “no hitting” and you can’t earn “Good Time” when you hit your brother.  It’s also important that your child understands the reason for your house rule, so you might ask “do you remember why hitting isn’t a good choice when we’re upset?” or “if mommy was upset at you, would you like to be hit?”  Taking this time to make sure your child understands your house rule, why it’s important and why his choice was not good is so important to the learning process.

3. Make Amends  - We don’t want your child to think that all he has to do to get back to Good Time is say a “quick apology”, as this may not be enough of a natural consequence for learning to occur and new good habits to form.  We recommend that your child make an effort to make amends for his bad choice in a way that’s relevant to the house rule that was broken.  For example, if he hit his sibling, he may have to do a good deed to make it right. This could be sharing a toy, helping with a sibling chore, sharing a token, writing a note, etc.  The key is that he understands that he did something and it takes action to make it right.  You can ask your child, “what do you think you can do to make your sibling feel better?” and if he doesn’t have any ideas you can give him some choices like “would you like to share one of your toys with him or write him an apology note?”  Then, you can say “once you make it right, you can turn your Goodtimer back over” and step back and see what happens.  

This sequence of natural consequences and positive discipline has proven to be a really effective way to encourage kids to form good habits while building their self esteem.

Each family is different, but in our experience, it’s common for kids to test the boundaries of a new routine especially when they just don’t want to do what you’re asking of them like: ‘turn off the screens’, ‘it’s time for bed’, ‘eat your vegetables’... The thing we recommend most is create a system that works for your family and stick with it.  Consistency is critical to the long-term effectiveness of any new method and this is no different with Goodtimer. We believe strongly that every family needs to do what they feel is best for them, but since you asked, we recommend that as much as possible you use Goodtimer as a tool to encourage the behaviors you want, rather than punishing the ones you don’t. Please note that research shows that the word “discipline” refers to helping your child learn a new behavior rather than punishing the behavior you don’t want.  

When your child is calm, take time to read the Goodtimer Children’s book again reviewing your house rules and the token worksheet. Make sure your child understands your house rules and why they are important to their health and development.  It’s also important that kids understand that they can only earn Good Time when they are following the rules.  

With Goodtimer, it’s helpful to figure out what’s going to motivate your kid, so make sure they have some input in creating the token worksheet. Let’s say your child really likes toy trucks. You’ll want to make sure he understands that in order to get the truck he needs to earn Good Time by following your house rules. We also recommend that you make sure that the number of tokens needed to earn the truck is a realistic and achievable goal in the relatively short term. On level 1 your child will earn 3 tokens in a 24-hour period if their Goodtimer is on all day. It can be helpful to set a more achievable goal for the first few incentives so that your child starts their Goodtimer experience off feeling successful.   

Finally, we recommend that your child be responsible for turning their Goodtimer over; both right-side-up and upside down so that they can make the connection between their choices and the outcomes in your household. The act of turning over the Goodtimer empowers them to make the decisions that will yield the outcomes they want, motivating them to make good choices.

It’s not going to be perfect at first, but we hope that these suggestions help.  We’ve found the combination of natural consequences, constant positive reinforcement and meaningful incentives for good behavior is a powerful combination that can help your child learn good habits that last.  It may take some time, but if you're consistent and stick to it, we’re confident things will improve.

The last thing parents want is to get into power struggles with their children. But part of growing up involves testing limits and pushing boundaries, so it is perfectly normal for our kids to occasionally go against what we are asking them to do. We recommend you try to practice these 5 things during a power struggle:

1. Stay calm. Not only are you modeling the behavior you want from them, but you will be in a much better position to convince them to calm down.

2. Try to see the child’s viewpoint and empathize. Remember that kids want to feel like they are understood, that their feelings are being paid attention to and taken into consideration.

3. Sidestep the power struggle. You don’t have to attend every power struggle to which you are invited.

4. Invite cooperation through wish fulfillment and play. After you set your house rules, Goodtimer can help your child make the connection of making positive choices and earning incentives that matter to him when he follows the house rules you have set together.

5. Empower your child with choices and by looking together for win/win solutions. Having your child flip over his Goodtimer on his own when a house rule is broken will help him understand he cannot earn Good Time until he decides to make amends to start earning Good Time again.

Here are some tips to help maintain a struggle-free relationship (as much as possible):

1. Make Empathy and Connection your go-to way of relating to your child. Remember that we all want to feel like we matter and are heard.

2. Play daily to get your kids laughing. Laughing together strengthens the family bond.

3. Make time for Special Time. This is something that can be part of your daily routine or it can be part of your token exchange system where your child exchanges tokens for special one-on-one time with mom or dad.

4. Use Routines. This is fundamental to Goodtimer and why we incorporated house rules, so everyone in the house is on the same page when it comes to expected household behaviors.

5. Welcome Emotions. We all have emotions, emotions are normal and it is normal for kids to struggle sometimes in dealing with their emotions. Let them vent.

Remember, Goodtimer is a positive discipline tool and although every family has to do what works for them, we recommend that the focus be on reinforcing good choices rather than punishing the bad ones. In our experience, if the motivation is there and the kid gets to feel like they have a choice, they’ll eventually choose the positive outcome.

Goodtimer was created to make it easier to track and reward a child for behaving according to their family’s rules. Positive parenting techniques typically avoid using punishments, instead focusing on praising and rewarding positive behavior. Based on our experience, Good Time and Goodtimer tokens are awarded for past good behavior and when we take away a token that was earned yesterday for a bad choice that was made today it may result in a loss of a sense of safety and security.  We believe that it’s important for kids to make the distinction between who they are and the choices they make.  Our children are good people, but sometimes they don’t make good choices.  When they do make good choices they earn Goodtimer tokens and even if they make a bad choice today, the good choices they made yesterday still count.  We do believe that it’s important to hold our kids accountable for the choices they make today and that’s why we recommend Goodtimer be used as a positive discipline tool as described above. While we do not recommend taking away tokens that have already been earned, ultimately, how your family decides to use Goodtimer and the tokens is 100% up to your family. 

Doing the right thing simply because it’s the right thing to do is a behavior that children must learn from their parents, teachers, and other role models. We often think about these learned behaviors as ‘good habits’ that must be practiced to learn and to stick over time. Goodtimer can be used to help teach children these good habits by providing engaging positive reinforcement that helps children make the connection between their choices and positive outcomes.

Goodtimer was designed to be a universal tool that can be incorporated into your family’s routine regardless of your family values or ‘expectations’ for your child. Additionally, Goodtimer is designed to grow with your child as they develop, allowing them to take on more responsibility based on their age and development.

Although positive reinforcement is generally a recommended practice for improving behavior, the overuse of rewards can result in entitlement issues or a "what's in it for me" attitude. If children are rewarded for each good choice they make, they begin to expect a reward for every good deed. Goodtimer addresses this phenomenon by incorporating a positive reinforcement approach that does not directly reward specific behaviors. Instead, Goodtimer tokens are earned when children consistently adhere to established house rules over an extended period (e.g., 24 hours). This encourages children to make good choices without expecting constant rewards.

Goodtimer includes tokens that are earned for consistent good behavior, similar to an allowance. It takes 3-12 hours of Good Time to earn one token. The glowing lights, positive audio feedback, and tokens serve as reinforcing mechanisms that contribute to long-term good habits. Families are encouraged to establish a token incentive system where children can exchange their tokens for reasonable privileges, not extravagant prizes. This way, children learn to make good choices because it’s fun and the right thing to do, not because they expect a big reward. Ultimately, Goodtimer helps families focus on good choices, reinforcing them until children learn the intrinsic value of making a good choice simply because it’s the right thing to do.

While every child is different, we have Goodtimer families who successfully use Goodtimer with their children who have been are on the Autism spectrum and who have said that Goodtimer works for their families. Goodtimer successfully works in homes when these three aspects are present:

• Keep it positive - When children receive positive reinforcement for good behavior, it improves their self-esteem providing motivation to continue to make good choices. Unlike punishing bad behavior with timeouts, Goodtimer places the focus on your child's positive behavior, encouraging them to continue to make good choices throughout the day.

• Be mindful- Setting clear household expectations allows the whole family to be on the same page when it comes to expected behaviors.  Kids thrive in environments with structure, consistency and clearly defined expectations.

• Meaningful Recognition – As your child earns Good Time throughout the day, they will earn the Goodtimer tokens for consistent good behavior rather than as a reward for a discrete behavior.  Finding meaningful incentives that matter to your child will allow them to make the connection between their choices and positive outcomes.

Goodtimer works well with First/Then charts to help children break down their activities into simpler two-step processes to provide them with attainable goals.  For example, you may want to use the First/Then language with your child when they are getting ready for bed.  “First we will brush our teeth, then I will read you a bedtime story.”  It can turn the bedtime routine into a seamless event while the Goodtimer glows green at their side while encouraging them at the same time.

There are times children who have Autism need a bit of visual support in the form of a social story to complete a task.  For example, a social story on cleaning up their room provides a simple and clear set of instructions that kids can relate to.  It breaks the job down into more manageable chunks to make it easier for kids to get the job completed. 

Goodtimer will provide your child with consistent positive reinforcement throughout the day, and when they make good choices paired with tangible incentives that matter to them, they cash their tokens in for things they are really excited about that you approve of.  It can help your child to make the connection between their good choices and positive outcomes.

While every child is different, many families have told us they successfully use Goodtimer with their children with ADHD. In general, Goodtimer works in homes when these three elements are present:

1) Keep it positive - When children receive positive reinforcement for good behavior, it improves their self-esteem providing motivation to continue to make good choices. Unlike punishing bad behavior with timeouts, Goodtimer places the focus on your child's positive behavior, encouraging them to continue to make good choices throughout the day.

2) Be mindful- Setting clear household expectations allows the whole family to be on the same page when it comes to expected behaviors. Kids thrive in environments with structure, consistency and clearly defined expectations.

3) Meaningful Recognition – As your child earns Good Time throughout the day, they will earn the Goodtimer tokens for consistent good behavior rather than as a reward for a discrete behavior. Finding meaningful incentives that matter to your child will allow them to make the connection between their choices and positive outcomes.

Goodtimer will provide your child with consistent positive reinforcement throughout the day, and when they make good choices paired with tangible incentives that matter to them, they cash their tokens in for things they are really excited about that you approve of. It can help your child to make the connection between their good choices and positive outcomes.

We hope this helps answer your question. Please don't hesitate to reach out again if there is anything we can do to make your family's Goodtimer experience more enjoyable.

Although we believe every parent should do what they feel works best for their family, we support the following approach when kids are dealing with BIG emotions:

1. Be sympathetic,

2. Don’t isolate,

3. Remember that anger is ok

4. Keep your cool

You may already practice some of these strategies at home, which can be used in connection with Goodtimer to de-escalate things when your child gets upset. For example, if he isn’t following your house rules, you may ask questions to understand why and try to be sympathetic to his responses. Then, if your child continues to make bad choices and Good Time is paused as a consequence, rather than isolating your child, use this as a form of 'Time In.' When his Goodtimer is paused and you both have a few minutes to calm down, it’s a good idea to share your feelings and discuss the ‘why’. Why is he angry and why it is important to you for him to follow your house rules? Once he shares why he’s upset and you share why it is important to follow the house rules take a moment to celebrate the sharing. Finally, it’s important that he makes amends in some way before getting back to earning Good Time. This can be as simple as hugging it out at the end of your conversation, or even a high five. Then once Goodtimer is flipped back over, this should provide him with the motivation to keep at it and continue to earn Good Time. Remember, consistency is key.

NOTE: This is an issue that only affects some original Goodtimers, as the problem was identified and corrected prior to the release of Goodtimer 2.

So, if your Goodtimer isn’t lighting up and it’s making an annoying repetitive chiming noise when you plug it in to charge, don’t worry, it's probably just a drained battery and we’ve got some easy troubleshooting tips for you.

It's very possible that your Goodtimer isn’t getting enough juice through the AC adapter to actually charge up. Each Goodtimer comes with a fancy UL certified AC adapter that needs a certain amount of electrical flow to do its job properly. Sometimes, if the adapter’s plugged into a power strip or surge protector, it’s not getting enough oomph. Try plugging the adapter directly into the wall outlet and see if that fixes things. If it does, hooray! It means the power strip was cramping its style.

Normally, when your Goodtimer’s battery is running low, a little LED light by the charging port on the back will light up red. When you plug it in, you’ll hear a little charging chime, and the LED will turn green to let you know it’s charging up. Once it’s fully juiced, the LED will switch off.

But sometimes, if your Goodtimer’s battery is completely drained, it might keep chiming non-stop when you plug it in until it’s got enough power to properly boot up. If you can’t stand the noise, you can flip it over so it's sitting on the speaker until it stops chiming. Then, let it sit plugged in until it’s good to go. If it’s still acting up, try resetting it. Just hold down the Reset button on the bottom for a full five seconds to give it a fresh start.

If none of that works and you’re still having trouble, don’t hesitate to shoot us an email at hello@gogoodtimer.com. We’re here to help!

So, every now and then, your Goodtimer might not react when you flip it right side up or upside down. No need to stress though, it happens! Think of it like your smartphone not always catching the switch from portrait to landscape mode.

If this little hiccup occurs, here's what you can do to get your Goodtimer back on track:

1. First things first, check if your Goodtimer is set to Travel mode. You can do this by tapping the "Travel" button on the bottom. It'll tell you if Travel Mode is on or off. Press it again to toggle, if needed.
2. If it's not in Travel Mode, flip your Goodtimer right side up and gently tap it down on a flat surface. Just like with our phones, sometimes it needs a little nudge to notice the change, and this usually does the trick.
3. Still no luck? No worries! Press and hold the small "Reset" button on the bottom for a full 5 seconds until the unit shuts off. Then, power it back on by pressing the "Power" button.
4. If it's still being stubborn, shoot us a message at hello@gogoodtimer.com, and we'll be happy to assist you further.

Life can get messy, especially with little ones, and sometimes gunk and grime gets into Goodtimer's token dispenser. The good news is, it was designed to be cleaned, just follow these simple steps:

1. Unscrew the three small Phillips head screws from the bottom of the token dispenser cap and set them aside.
2. Carefully remove the dispenser cap by pulling it diagonally downward, watching out for the compressed spring inside.
3. Take out the spring and token tray, wipe them clean with a damp paper towel. Use a little dish soap if needed.
4. Wipe clean the interior of the dispenser the same way.
5. Once dry, reassemble in reverse order: insert the token tray and spring, fit the dispenser cap back into place, and screw in the three screws.
6. Voila! Your Goodtimer is clean and ready to face the day!

When setting up Goodtimer 2 with the Goodtimer app, we guide you through a series of questions to establish your House Rules. This helps tailor the experience to your family's needs. When a flip event occurs, we'll ask which rule was involved. Based on your answer, we'll provide resources, articles, and videos to help you navigate these challenging moments. This way, you can quickly address specific behavior concerns and get your child back to earning Good Time. It's all about making it easier for you to manage tricky situations and encourage positive behaviors.

Goodtimer is here to support you in tackling those everyday behavior challenges. We have a blog on our website filled with helpful articles that offer tips and advice for navigating various family challenges. Whether you’re dealing with temper tantrums, bedtime struggles, or anything in between, our blog has you covered. Check it out here: Goodtimer Blog. 

We’re all about helping you find the best ways to encourage positive behaviors and make your family life a little easier.

At this time, our website only ships to the USA and Canada, but Goodtimer can still be purchased for shipment to many other countries through Amazon.

When we expand our direct international shipping, we will send out an update on our Facebook page and to our email subscribers, so we encourage you to sign up and/or follow us on social media for all the latest news about Goodtimer.

Yes! Orders shipping to APO/FPO/DPO addresses ship for free and are sent via USPS. Tracking is available until they are handed off to Military Mail, at that point, due to the nature of these addresses, tracking may not be available. Please be aware that since these addresses are spread out around the world, we cannot give estimates for how long it will take for orders to arrive.

We warrant that Goodtimer and other Plus Up products will be free of defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for one (1) year from the date of original purchase. The full warranty policy can be viewed on our website by clicking here.