Many parents are naturally skeptical about Goodtimer and want to learn more about how it how and why it works, how it was created, and what sets it apart from other parenting solutions. This page provides a summary of the research and methods that were used when creating Goodtimer and explains why it is so effective at encouraging kids to learn healthy habits when compared to other methods.
What is Goodtimer?
Developed for kids ages 2-12, this five-time award-winning product is all about encouraging kids to do their best every day! Goodtimer is an interactive and friendly clock-like companion that glows with soothing green lights and encouraging sounds that motivate kids to learn healthy habits that last.
Click this link to watch an unboxing video to learn what's included with each Goodtimer, how it works and how you can use it to encourage better behavior.
How do you play?
When your child makes good choices, they turn their Goodtimer on by flipping it right-side up. It's that simple. Goodtimer begins to glow green, an encouraging sound plays, and the device begins tracking 'Good Time'. Goodtimer displays your child’s performance by illuminating twelve glowing segments, similar to the hands of a clock. As your child continues to follow your house rules and earn more Good Time, more segments light up one-by-one, showing your child’s progress in a way that’s simple enough for a three-year-old to understand.
The Goodtimer Children's Book
It’s your home, so it’s your rules. Each Goodtimer includes a children’s book that tells Goodtimer's charming back story, explains how the device works, and most importantly, gives you the tools you need to help your child succeed at making good choices. While reading the book, parents and kids will have an opportunity to clarify house rules, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and is working together to earn Good Time.
Goodtimer Tokens
When all 12 glowing segments are filled, your child earns a Goodtimer token (typically 2-8 per day) as an additional form of positive reinforcement. These tokens can be saved and exchanged for additional incentives decided by your family. Similar to an allowance, tokens must be earned with consistent good behavior over time. Since Goodtimer tokens are tangible, young children can easily understand how their behavior impacts their performance.
How was Goodtimer Developed?
Goodtimer was developed during an extensive three-year research and development process in collaboration with positive parenting experts including Jackie Insinger, a motivation and communication expert and a nationally acclaimed family dynamics coach. Decades of research* by behavioral psychologist and parenting experts has proven that children learn best when they understand expectations, can keep them in mind and receive consistent positive reinforcement when they make good choices. Furthermore, when we respond negatively to undesired behaviors by nagging, yelling and punishments, our children are more likely to continue to do the things we don’t want them to do. In other words, kids are more likely to repeat the behaviors that we give attention to. The following quote from a critically acclaimed author and positive parenting expert Pam Leo of Connecting Parenting does a good job of summarizing the fundamental premise of Positive Parenting and the founding principles of Goodtimer:
“You can’t teach children to behave better by making them feel worse. When children feel better, they behave better.”
*American Psychology Association
Why Does Goodtimer Work?
Proven positive parents methods like "time-ins" and "behavior charts" have been used successfully for decades to encourage improved behavior but these methods require a lot of work by parents and are not engaging and interactive for kids an increasing digital age. Our team has curated decades of proven positive parenting methods and incorporated them into one simple and effective solution that is fun for kids and easy for parents.
Keep it positive
Leading research shows, the most effective way to encourage our children to continue to make good choices is to give attention and positive reinforcement to good behavior when it occurs.
When children receive positive reinforcement for good behavior, it improves their self-esteem providing motivation to continue to make good choices. In contrast, when we respond to negative behaviors by yelling at our kids or punishing them, the opposite occurs. When punished, children lose confidence because they often feel that the negative reinforcement is directed at them, not just the behavior.
Unlike punishing bad behavior with timeouts, Goodtimer places the focuses on your child's positive behavior, encouraging them to continue to make good choices throughout the day.
Be mindful
Research shows that in order for children to form new habits they need to clearly understand expectations and keep them in mind throughout the day. Kids are expected to follow a lot of rules and it’s often difficult for them to remember everything that is expected of them. Therefore, kids thrive in environments with structure, consistency and clearly defined expectations.
Goodtimer is the first product of its kind that provides a consistent and stimulating reminder for kids to stay on task and meet expectations. The Goodtimer Children’s book allows the family to create the “house rules” that are consistent with their individual values and Goodtimer's patented approach provides positive reinforcement to remind children to continue to make choices throughout the day.
Meaningful recognition
Research shows that the most effective way to reinforce good behavior is to recognize the behavior when it occurs. Research also shows that the misuse of “rewards” often results in children who feel entitled to receive a reward for every good deed.
Goodtimer is the first universal positive reinforcement tool encouraging children to make good choices through the day. Over time, children earn Goodtimer tokens for consistent good behavior rather than as a reward for a discrete behavior. The Goodtimer children’s book allows the family to establish an incentive system that is consistent with their individual values allowing the children to exchange tokens for things that they’re really excited about and that you approve of.
With consistent positive reinforcement and meaningful incentives, Goodtimer provides a framework for success that has been proven to encourage children to form healthy habits that last.
Positive Parenting Made Easy
Kids love Goodtimer because it’s fun. Parents love Goodtimer because it works. Backed by neuroscience and developed in collaboration with leading parenting experts, Goodtimer's patented approach uses the principles of positive parenting to help kids follow family rules and practice patterns of good behavior. Goodtimer is an interactive and engaging companion, with lights, sounds and a token incentive system that helps kids make the connection between their choices and positive outcomes. This makes Goodtimer a highly effective way to reinforce positive behavior and help children form good habits that last.
Effective and Fun
Through the use of dynamic positive feedback and meaningful incentives, Goodtimer helps your child grow and provides a rewarding experience for your entire family. Furthermore, once Goodtimer is incorporated into your family routine, it will serve as a simple and effective tool to encourage desired behaviors, so that you no longer have to yell, punish and be the “bad guy.”
Positive Discipline with Goodtimer
Consider a situation where your child gets upset and hits their sibling… You may instruct them to flip their Goodtimer upside down, deactivating Good Time as a consequence for their behavior.
Now Goodtimer may be used as a positive discipline tool to learn alternative ways to behave (when they are upset) that don’t involve violence toward their siblings. Then, once your child demonstrates improved behavior, they can flip over their Goodtimer and start earning Good Time again.
Goodtimer has been developed in partnership with parenting experts and each Goodtimer purchase includes support from our highly trained staff of parenting professionals on-call to ensure your family has a rewarding experience.
An automatic allowance
Kids LOVE to earn Goodtimer tokens and exchange them for the things they are really excited about. When you read the Goodtimer children’s book your family will decide what your children can exchange tokens for and how many tokens they’ll need to earn for each incentive. Since Goodtimer tokens are tangible, young children can easily understand how their behavior affects their performance. This tactile system of tangible reinforcement has been proven to effectively improve behavior.
How is it different than a Behavior Chart?
Traditional behavior charts have been used for years to define expectations, and positively reinforce children for good behavior. However, chore charts aren’t interactive, engaging or portable and chore chart apps require that your child have access to your smart phone or tablet. Chore charts also don’t provide interactive, real-time feedback when you are trying to address behavior issues in the moment.
Goodtimer is different because it belongs to your child and they are responsible for their performance. As your child interacts with their Goodtimer, their motivation increases because they clearly understand how their behavior reflects their performance.
Do you have more questions?
At Goodtimer, we’re parents too, so sometimes it may take us a little while to respond. Please let us know how we can help and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can, usually within 24 hours.