Adapting to change can be difficult for young children and yes, even us adults too. In the first five years of life, most children make large scale transitions, like going from the bottle to food, crib to a bed, and transitioning from preschool or home life to school.
Everyday we help our children with smaller scale transitions, like turning off the TV, taking a nap, waking up from a nap, or leaving the playground. No matter the scale of the transition, parents can help foster smooth transitions.
Try some of these tactics:
- Preview and countdown: let them know change is coming and provide a countdown that is age appropriate. "10, 9, 8, 7... or we will be leaving in 5 minutes".
- Signal it with a song: The clean up song is a good one for tidying up after playing or when it's time to leave try a routine of saying, "See you later alligator, after a while crocodile." Repetition provides routine and sets expectations.
This summer, we're focusing on the large scale Transition to Kindergarten. If you have a 5-year-old that will begin Kindergarten in August, we encourage you to participate in our Kindergarten Transition program.
We'd like to hear from you. Drop us a quick line and let us know what you think or what we can do to assist more. Email:
questions@elcpalmbeach.org
.
We are also available via phone at our Family Resource Line: 561.514.3300.
Thank you and stay safe,
Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County
