By Kelsey McCarthy, M. Ed. Assistant Director, Artisan Childcare Center - Newton
Transitions can often be difficult for children to navigate as they begin to develop the skills to move from one part of their day to another. This part of a child’s day can often be difficult for both child and parent. A lot of children have a hard time switching from a favored activity. This becomes even less appealing when they are being asked to do something they do not necessarily want to do, like get ready for bed. The Child Mind Institute (childmind.org) had a lot of helpful articles on the best way to deal with tricky transitions. I have compiled a list below of a few tips that should help daily transitions go a bit smoother!
• Give a verbal or visual countdown: Leading up to a transition make sure to give verbal warnings about what the transition will be and how much longer they have with their current activity. With young children the use of a visual timer can be particularly helpful. There are a number of visual timer phone apps that will show your child how much time is passing. Sand timers, bubble timers, and “time timers” are all great physical timers as well. Tip: allow your child to help set the timer so they can feel like they have more control over when their time will be up.
• Getting their attention: Make sure you have your child’s attention by making eye contact, sitting next to them, placing your hand on their shoulder, or asking them to repeat the expectations back to you. Keep in mind, children are more likely to hear and understand your instructions if you are near them and crouched down to their eye level.
• Use Music: Everything is more fun when it is set to music, even unappealing transitions. There are a lot of transition songs that already exist, like the clean-up song. A quick YouTube search will uncover songs for brushing teeth, washing hands, and holding the railing as well. You and your kids can make up your own songs too! You would be surprised to find that simple repetitive phrases set to familiar tunes can be very effective.
• Visual Cues: Some children benefit from seeing the pieces of their day in picture form. Visual schedules can remove the anxiety caused by uncertainty. Many visual schedules have removable pieces that you and your child could place each morning before you start your day. • Routines: Children benefit greatly from routine. If, for example, your child has difficulty transitioning into bedtime you could create a special routine that you always follow. A bedtime routine could be as simple as, brush teeth, two stories, last hug, and lights out. At school, this could be a special hug or handshake when saying goodbye or waving to your child from their classroom window.
Supporting your child as they work through transitions can be tricky. Feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher to see if there is a strategy that works best for them in the classroom. Offer suggestions to their teachers as well to ensure children are receiving consistent support both at home and at school.