When you get off work or get home from a trip, you may find that you a few moments of down time to transition from the previous activity before being ready to jump into the next activity. Our children have the same need and will function better if we help them meet that need. Doing so will actually save time because you’ll have fewer ‘melt-downs’ due to inability to handle any more. How can we help them do that?
1. Plan transition time into the daily schedule. The biggest time is right after school. Plan 10-30 minutes with your child of down time before jumping into homework or chores.
2. Talk with your child about how much time they think they need and how to best spend that time; a snack, quiet time, with a pet, outside, art or drawing, creative activities. This is not friend time and preferably not electronic time. It’s time to regroup within ourselves.
3. Use a timer. If it’s important that they move onto the next activity quickly, discuss this ahead of time and use a timer to let them know when time is up.
