Disclaimer: The calculator is based on the presumption that the perception of time can have some correlation to how long one has been alive. The calculator compares the proportion of (1) a single day and (2) a week to the amount of time each person has been alive to show how one day and one week may feel longer and more significant to young children. It is not meant to be mathematically precise (as quantifying the perception of time between two people would involve many subject factors). The purpose is a reminder to be present and not miss out on important moments.
Personal Story
While building this website (samesters.com), I spent significant time coding, designing, and all-around grinding. Since I work from home, our daughter would come home from school around 1:30, walk into my office, and say, “Daddy, I want you.” For weeks, my response was, “Daddy needs to work…I love you.” My work would continue into the night.
– Josh
I was telling myself that a few months of dedicated focus was relatively insignificant in the larger scheme of life–and at 39 years old, it felt that way to me. Then my wife told me how much our kids (our daughter is only 4, and our son is barely 2) want my attention–and it hit me. They perceive time differently. I remembered how slowly the days and weeks passed when I was a kid. A few weeks for our kids is a significant amount of their lives–and they perceive that time as substantial. I built this relative time calculator to visualize for myself the perception of time in my children’s eyes–to remind myself to put the work away and be present.
As of January 2024, 1 week to me is over 130 days in relative time to my son, and over 60 days in relative time to my daughter. Give the calculator a try, or share it with someone who needs a reminder.
Relative Time Calculator
As adults, we often feel that time passes quickly. Still, for children, every day can be full of experiences, emotions, and growth.
A single day in a child’s life can be more significant than we realize, and this can be quantified (albeit loosely) using our Relative Time Calculator. This tool calculates the relative weight of each day and week in a child’s life compared to that of an adult based on their dates of birth. It shows the emotional reality that a week in a child’s life can feel as significant to them as dozens of days might feel to an adult.
This calculator is based on the (imperfect) assumption that time feels slow when we are young and fast as we age. It highlights our presence or absence’s impact on a child’s development and is a reminder to BE PRESENT, BE EMPATHETIC, and BE UNDERSTANDING. A few weeks could seem insignificant to an adult, yet be very significant to a child.
