Finish first policy
3–4 yearsSuccess MindsetMaterials: Two simple activities
Materials for each activity
Practice finishing one activity completely before starting another. Set up two simple activities and guide your child to put away all materials from the first activity before beginning the second. Talk about what finishing means and why it matters. Celebrate the completion of each activity.
Part of the Imprint developmental journey — personalized to your child.
How to Do This Activity
Practice finishing one activity completely before starting another. Set up two simple activities and guide your child to put away all materials from the first activity before beginning the second. Talk about what finishing means and why it matters. Celebrate the completion of each activity.
Why It Works
Completing tasks before moving on develops self-discipline and follow-through. Children this age have an attention span of eight to 12 minutes, making short, complete activities appropriate. This skill is valuable because conscientiousness predicts job performance with a meta-analytic effect size of .23 when controlling for cognitive ability (Poropat, 2009).
Tips for Parents
Keep activities short to match their attention span. Be specific about what finished looks like.
Model finishing your own tasks. Be patient as they learn this new habit.
Materials Needed
Two simple activities
Materials for each activity
Learning Methods
Structured Learning ActivitiesProject-Based LearningCollaborative and Cooperative Play
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