Learning to wait builds self-regulation. Because children’s executive function skills—including impulse control and flexibility—are still developing, they may struggle to delay gratification, handle uncertainty, and manage unstructured time. Waiting can be especially difficult when they don’t know how long it will last.

By waiting calmly and respectfully, adults model self-regulation and help children develop lasting patience and flexibility.

Visual supports guide children’s behavior while they wait and help them cope with discomfort and uncertainty.

A wait card reminds children of appropriate waiting behavior and signals when the wait begins and ends. Used as a physical card or a digital display, it works at home, in classrooms, and in community settings—for example, while waiting for an appointment, a restaurant meal, an amusement park ride, or help at a customer service desk.

Visual timers can help students who find waiting difficult. The Time Timer®, a popular choice with a simple, uncluttered display, makes elapsed time easier to understand. It comes in several physical sizes and as apps for iPhone/iPad and Android devices.

Visual countdown timers provide structure when a wait’s duration is unknown or outside our control. They give open-ended activities clear boundaries without fixed time increments, allowing flexible timing for activities and transitions.

Clear expectations and something to do make waiting easier. A choice card offers activities children can choose while waiting. A first–then card—such as “First we wait, then we return to the classroom”—shows what comes after a fire drill and can support children during unexpected activity changes.

Use a portable reinforcement punch card to recognize and encourage appropriate waiting behavior at school, at home, or in the community. When a child demonstrates a behavior you want to reinforce, punch or mark a section and explain what they did well.

Waiting is an important skill for daily life and academic and social success. Used effectively in children’s surroundings, visual supports can build waiting skills, social competence, flexibility, impulse control, and on-task engagement. Many supports described here are available in this website’s Resources section.