Transitions and Behaviour

Transitions and Behaviour

Beginnings and endings or transitions have an impact on feelings and behaviour.  Major transitions such as moving from a crib to a bed or starting a preschool program can be filled with conflicting emotions for your child and have an impact on how they behave.

The little beginnings and endings that occur throughout the day can also have a significant impact on your child’s behaviour.  Moving from playing to mealtime, from outside to inside, from story time to bedtime, from sleeping to waking are all transitions.   To make them as seamless as possible;

• Have daily routines,
• Whenever possible avoid abrupt changes
• Give your child time to make the shift from one activity to another
• Provide verbal and physical cues about coming changes.

Each child is unique and some children will manage transitions with little disruption while others will need lots of patient assistance from the adults in their lives.