8 Tips for Making Common Daily Transitions Easier for Your Child
If your child is engaged in an enjoyable activity or is comfortable right where he is, he may become upset when it’s time to transition away from that activity or place. Here are 8 tips that may make those transitions easier for everyone.
Prepare your child for the transition. Can give 1-2 verbal warnings. For example, “In 5 minutes it will be time to __________.”
Sometimes children respond better to a timer than a verbal “time to go”. In this case, you can set a timer on your cell phone and say, “In 5 minutes, when the timer goes off it will be time to ____.”
Present the activity you are transitioning to in the best possible light. For example, rather than saying, “In 5 minutes we need to leave the park.”, say, “In 5 minutes, it’ll be time to go and I’ll race you to the car!”
When your child is engaged in a particularly enjoyable activity and you need to end the activity for a less enjoyable one, when possible, provide an “intermediate” transition. For example, if your child is playing outside and you need to go to the store, have a snack or read a book in between coming in from outside and going to the store.
Provide a transition object that relates to the next activity. For example, If preparing to go to bed, give your child their favorite stuffed animal or a bed time story to hold while transitioning to their bedroom.
A visual schedule can also be helpful. This can be hand drawn and used to show your child 2-3 activities in a row. For example, Park, Grocery Store, Lunch. This will help your child know what to expect ahead of time.
Provide a lot of praise when your child transitions well. For example, “Wow, I know you really like to play outside, I’m so proud of you for coming right in when it was time for lunch.”
Try to be consistent. When you say it is time to leave or do another activity, be ready for this transition yourself and follow through.
