Time moves on - and now Boy #1 understand how.

Reviews are funny things. I get a fair few requests in my Potty Mummy inbox to take a look at things, view movies, and try stuff out, and I have to say that since most of it is not in the slightest bit relevant to my life or The Potty Diaries, I don't take the bait. Every now and again though, a brand or a pr agency scores a direct hit, and I bite. It happened with Keycamps and Little Dish in the summer, with Dyson last February, and with Disney Blu-Ray over the last few months.

The secret to getting my attention? There is no secret, it's an out and out matter of luck. If the timing's right, and the product's right, I'll probably do it. I'm not sniffy about these things; if a pr agency wants to include me on their mailing list they have every right to do so, just as I have every right to either refuse (or even ignore) their kind offer, and to be completely honest with any readers of the blog about my reaction to a product if I decide to participate.

So when an e-mail dropped into my inbox entitled: 'Aramazu - new way of teaching children to tell the time - proven to work', it was purely a matter of luck that I had just that week been thinking 'I really need to start thinking about teaching Boy #1 how to tell the time'. Mainly because if he can, then those early morning shouts at 6.00am regarding whether it's time to get up yet might stop happening.

I mean, 6.00am? That's just so rubbish. At 5.30am, even 5.45am, you can with justification think; 'loads of time, let's go back to sleep, tomorrow hasn't properly started yet'. But 6.00am? Personally I just lie there thinking 'Must sleep... is the dishwasher going to beep and wake them up again? Better go and turn it off... Must sleep... Got to remember to put the recycling boxes out for collection today. Must sleep... Did I wash Boy #1's pullover? Oh bxgger. Might as well just get up.'

Anyway. Aramazu. I took them up on their kind offer and recieved through the post (which given current Royal Mail performance is a miracle in itself), 3 books and an Aramzu Mountain watch. Of course, we didn't get round to using it straightaway, but on Wednesday afternoon Boy #1 and I sat down and looked at the first book:

'Aramazu; The Learn to Tell the Time Right Now Book' (for children who can count to 60)

Within 20 minutes, using the book and the card clock supplied with it, Boy #1 understood the concept of hours and was able to tell the o'clock and the half past. In fact, it was easier for him to learn that than it was for me understand the instructions on how to attach the card clock hands to the card clock face. But perhaps that's just me...

Two days later, we sat down again after school for 15 minutes, and hey presto, now he can tell the minutes too.

To say I am impressed and amazed is an understatement. This method of teaching children to see hours as mountains and minutes as steps up and down the sides of them (and you really need to see the book to understand what on earth I'm on about, I know) is so tuned in to the way their minds work that they catch on practically instantly. Now admittedly, Boy #1 needs his Aramazu Mountain Watch right now to be able to do so, but when using it he can tell the time. Cue overexcited phone calls to grandparents who frankly completely missed the point and didn't get anywhere near excited enough about this amazing milestone in my genius child's development for my liking. And I'm confident that given practice he will be able to transfer his new knowledge to ordinary analogue clocks.

Thankyou, Aramazu. I'm hoping now that the 6.00am alarm call will be a thing of the past - at least until Boy #2 starts it, at any rate...


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