I taught my daughter to read during covid when the schools were closed. ‘The’ was the first word she learned to read, and I did exactly what you suggest, pausing for her to read it. It really helped. When my workshop reopened I made her a silver badge of the word ‘the’ to celebrate.
Nah. It’s no problem at all, we can handle nuances. If I need to be specific I use 24hr. If someone invites me over tomorrow for a cup of tea and I say I’ll be over 2ish they know what I mean. It’s all about context.