Easing Transitions

Transitions can be little things like switching activities.

For example:

• playtime to lunchtime

• bedtime

• playing at the park to when it's time to go home

Transitions can also be big things like when a child starts daycare, Kindergarten, or if a family moves to a new home.

In this blog post we will talk about managing those small, day-to-day transitions!

Here are some tips and tricks to help make transitions easier for you and your child:

Warnings

Warning your child when a change is coming can help them prepare for the change and what is happening next.

This might sound like:

• “In five minutes we are going to put away the toys and get ready for bed.”

• “You can go down the slide three more times and then it is time to leave the park.”

Make it fun!

Turn a transition into a game!

This might be:

• Racing to see who can pick up the most toys in two minutes or who can put on their shoes first.

• Singing a song about the activity. "We are walking, we are walking, to the park, to the park."

Visuals

Visuals can be a great tool for you and your child to use when moving from one activity to another.

This might be:

• Using the timer on a microwave or cellphone to show that there are two minutes left of the activity.

• Creating a visual schedule for your child to refer back to, so they know what to expect and what is happening next.

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

Choices

Providing your child with choices gives them a sense of empowerment and control and can make it easier for your child to cope with a transition. Just make sure when you give a choice the choices you provide your child are possible and achievable.

This might sound like:

• "Would you like to wear the red pajamas or the blue pajamas tonight?"

• "Would you like the pink plate or the blue bowl for dinner?"

• "What bedtime story would you like to read?"

Prepare, prepare, prepare!

When gearing up for a transition, talk with your child! Let them know what is happening, when it is happening and what to expect.

Similar to using a warning, preparing your child for the transitions by letting them know what will happen next and when will help them prepare themselves for it.

This might sound like:

• “I am going to drop you off at daycare and go to work. I will come back to get you around 4:00pm.”

• "We are going to the park for 30 minutes and then we will go home and make dinner."

• "At bedtime we will brush our teeth, put on our pajamas, read a book, and go to sleep!"

The transitions where you and your child are separating can be the most difficult for them however, one way you might make these types of transitions easier is by having a special handshake to say goodbye or practicing these transitions at home in a fun way.

While these transitions might be the hardest for both you and your child, remember that you are both strong and capable and that they will get easier with time!

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At Norwood Centre our team of qualified Early Childhood Development Subject Matter Experts work to provide tools that caregivers can use to support early childhood development. We hear you! If you have a question or concern, please ask us. We have a variety of Child Development Activities available on our website, find them at norwoodcentre.com/child-development-activities. For short-term one-on-one coaching, please call us at 780-471-3737.