05/19/2021
Whether it's leaving the playground or putting away the sticker art for dinner, transitions from fun activities (preferred) to 'have to do's' like meals, showers, drop offs for school, etc can be a catalyst for daily melt downs and poor regulation with many kiddos. And daily sadness and frustration for overwhelmed parents or teachers.
Try to reflect on these challenging movements and purposefully create proactive plans for your next encounter with that transition.
Problem solve with your child at a time when the transition is NOT occurring:
1. Hey buddy, I notice every time we have to leave the park you seem to feel super angry. Have you noticed that?
2. When you get angry, it can make me feel worried or sad or even frustrated. And I know you don't like to feel mad. Do you think we could come up with a plan for how we can leave the playground safely and without that anger sneaking in?
3. Listen to your child's ideas, and then add some of your own ideas (using timed warnings, making sure expectations of what is happening next are clear, and having a reward system in place if necessary).
4. Make that plan into a VISUAL. We often forget that words may not be enough for our kiddos to process when they start to feel their emotions building. Create a visual of your plan and make sure that the positive rewards are followed through with.
Restate the plan prior to the preferred activity, reading it over with your visual-
"Ok, so we are gonna head to the park. Let's talk about our plan. We are gonna play for about 45 min. When there are 10 min left, I am going to let you know. I will let you know again at 5 min and 2 min. When you hear my phone play that special song you selected, you know it's time to get going home for dinner. You can ask for a piece of gum to chew in the car on the way home or you can use your fidget popper. When we get home, you can watch a quick 15 min show while I make dinner, if you have great behavior leaving the park and don't get angry".
