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"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Putting away toys and getting ready for bed, turning off the TV to eat dinner, or leaving the playground so you can go to the store can lead to major meltdowns. Transitions can be really difficult for many children, especially during the toddler and preschool years.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If your child struggles to transition from one activity to the next, here are some strategies that can make transitions go more smoothly:&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;1. Give a Warning&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If someone turned off in the middle of your favorite TV show, or ripped the phone out of your hand in middle of a call, you likely wouldn\u2019t appreciate it. Abruptly telling your child it\u2019s time to leave or time to put his toys away is a similar situation.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Warn your child about an upcoming transition. If he\u2019s old enough to understand time, say, \u201CIn five minutes we\u2019re going to leave the playground.\u201D If your child is too young to grasp the concept of what five minutes means, say something like, \u201CYou can have two turns to go down the slide and then we\u2019re going to go to the store.\u201D&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;2. Teach Transition Words&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Use transition words that will help your child understand the plan. Say things like, \u201CYour brother is going to have a turn first, and then you\u2019re next,\u201D or, \u201CWe\u2019ll go outside after we eat dinner.\u201D These types of phrases help children develop a better understanding of transitions.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;3. Provide One Instruction at a Time&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Young children get confused when they\u2019re given too many directions at once. So rather than rattle off a long list of things to do to get ready to go to the store, start with one instruction at a time. Say, \u201CPick up your toys please.\u201D Then, once the toys are picked up, tell your child to put on his socks. Keep it simple.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;4. Offer Choices When Possible&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Giving your child a choice gives her a little autonomy, which can reduce a lot of &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-is-the-best-way-to-deal-with-temper-tantrums-1094862&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;temper tantrums&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; and meltdowns. Ask questions like, \u201CDo you want to put on your jacket or do you want me to put it on for you?\u201D Just make sure you can live with either option.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;5. Establish a Fun Ritual&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;There\u2019s a reason preschools use fun songs to get kids to clean up their toys - it works. Create a fun ritual that will motivate your child to move from one activity to the next. A special bedtime routine or memorable mealtime ritual can reduce temper tantrums.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;6. Ease into the Transition&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;When possible, ease into the transition. If your child is playing with trucks when it\u2019s time to go to the store, let him choose one truck to play with in the car. Carrying an object from one place to the next can help ease your child\u2019s frustration.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;7. Create a Consistent Routine&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-to-create-structure-in-your-childs-day-1094880&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Provide structure to your child\u2019s day&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; by establishing a schedule. Keep naps, meals, and bedtime on a consistent schedule. Create a visual chart that shows your child what happens throughout the day.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;8. Praise Good Behavior&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;When your child starts moving toward the next activity, or she responds to your directions, &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-to-use-praise-to-promote-good-behavior-1094892&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;offer immediate praise&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. Say, \u201CGreat job picking up the toys right when I asked you to.\u201D &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/positive-reinforcement-child-behavior-1094889&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Positive reinforcement&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; will encourage her to keep up the good work.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;9. Teach Feeling Words&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Use transitions as an opportunity to &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-to-teach-kids-about-feelings-1095012&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;teach feeling words&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. Say things like, \u201CI know you\u2019re frustrated you can\u2019t keep playing,\u201D or, \u201CIt looks like you\u2019re disappointed it\u2019s time to leave.\u201D As your child\u2019s verbal skills improve, she\u2019ll be able to tell how she feels, rather than show you through misbehavior.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<https://www.verywell.com/helping-kids-transition-between-activities-1094853>