Reminder

#reminder#remember#to-do#time

What cannot be seen gets forgotten, especially when the head is already full of other things. A reminder picture gives the important thing somewhere to stand, and the picture below shows a boy holding up his note with a clock and a tick.

A boy holds up a sheet with a clock and a tick and points at it, with a speech bubble containing an exclamation mark.

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Reminder

A boy holds up a sheet with a clock and a tick and points at it, with a speech bubble containing an exclamation mark.

About this visual support

Forgetting almost always happens at the same moment: at the door, at the dinner table, just as something more fun takes over. Your child meant to bring the PE bag, call grandma or take the medicine, but the thought did not stay put. It is rarely carelessness. Working memory holds only a few things at a time, and the first one to be pushed out is usually the one that cannot be seen.

A reminder picture moves the task from the head to the wall. The picture shows a boy holding up a sheet with a clock and a tick and pointing at it, with a speech bubble containing an exclamation mark above him. It works as a general signal that something important needs doing, and can sit next to the picture of the task itself. Together they say both that and what.

A practical tip is to put the reminder where the forgetting usually happens, not where the task is done. If the PE bag is forgotten in the hall, the reminder belongs by the front door, not in your child's room. Remove the picture once the task is done, so the next reminder still feels important. In Routined, reminders can be linked to times in your child's schedule, and the app can be tried for 14 days at no cost.