Easing Transitions

Routines and rituals are a very important life for many people, but especially for young children. Having established routines and rituals provides a sense of comfort and predictability for young children who have limited control over their world. Including children in talking about and createing routines gives children yet another way to feel a greater sense of control in their world. It allows them to anticipate and thus prepare for those often difficult transitions in their lives.

One fun way to do this is by creating a "My Day" book or poster. Create a set of pictures that represent your child's daily routines (meals, naps, clean-up time, bathtime, bedtime). You can take photos of your child, find and color some great coloring pages together, or cut pictures out of magazines. Then create a book from your collection, writing a little story about your child's day. The "words" can be simple ("breakfast," "nap," "bath," etc.) or a full-fledged story (include rhymes for extra fun). Another variation is to create pictures for different parts of the day, add magnets to the back, and place them on your fridge.

Benefits of this activity: easier transitions, sequencing skills, pre-literacy skills, creativity