Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/helping-young-children-through-daily-transitions/5021650/
I always walk the same way to my local cafe, with my little pug trotting along happily by my side, confident in the direction we walk; in fact, he’s almost cocky, as if he’s showing me how to get there. Then, one day I decided to walk a different way. Poor Pablo immediately loses confidence and looks at me as if to say, “What next?” Even though the change was slight and we ended up in the same place, he was confused.Dogs, like children, are creatures of habit. Children also love knowing what is coming next and are confident in rhythms and routines. When familiar rhythms are thrown off, children struggle: we see tears and tantrums. So how can we guide children through the ebb and flow of daily life? There are three things I’ve found that help make everything a little easier:
• singing
• only giving choices when they’re real
• less truly is more
Singing
The first thing, and possibly the most delightful, is singing. How many of us have heard, or sung, “Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere . . .”? Well, it works! After almost 30 years of teaching, I have found that a little song puts everyone at ease ...