It doesn’t feel good to have to stop what you are doing abruptly. It is easier to listen when you have time to finish what you are doing first.

• Try 5-minute and 2-minute warnings if your child is playing.
• Say something like “at the end of this show” if your child is watching a show. Or, “when you finish that page” if your child is reading.
• Imagine you are at the playground or somewhere with lots of short activities. A good transition might be “You can choose 2 more activities, then we will leave.”
• For young children, phrases like “that was fun, but now it’s done” and songs can make transitions easier.

We all prefer to avoid things we find boring or difficult. Transitions give your child time to feel unhappy and realize they still have to do it. 

• Try time transitions (5 minutes, 2 minutes) to let your child prepare to end a fun activity.
• Tell your child about a fun activity you’ll do after the boring or difficult activity. For example, “After this appointment, we’ll stop at the park.” “After you finish your homework, we can play a game.” 

Daily routines and schedules are very helpful in this situation. Here are some examples:

• Try writing each activity for the day (for example, eat breakfast, drive to school, playground time, math class) on a separate index cards and place them in order. Your child can look through them at any time during the day to know what comes next.
• Create a morning checklist with words and pictures of each step in getting ready. Have your child check each one as they complete it.
• Write out the daily and weekly schedule and hang it where you child can see it. Point out what step you are on and what comes next throughout the day.

Some children have regular stressful events, like switching parents’ houses, seeing a doctor, and visits with family. Pay attention to how you transition before and after these events.

• Spend 2-5 minutes playing or doing something fun before the event. This helps your child stay calm.
• Make a transition routine with your child. Maybe you sing a song and give a hug, press handprints together, or have a special phrase you say. Be consistent, so your child finds comfort in the routine.
• After the event, have a similar transition routine. Try to spend 2-5 minutes playing or doing something fun. This will help your child regulate.

Big events will happen. For example, children might have a new sibling, move, change schools, have a parent go away for work, or go on vacation. Help your child prepare for these events using transitions.

• Hang a calendar and cross off each day as you get closer to the event.
• Create a paper loop garland with one loop per day. Each day let your child remove one of the loops and tell you a reason they’re excited for the change.
• Talk about what life will be like after the change. What will be the same, and what will be different?
• If appropriate, read books or watch movies about other children who have gone through similar events.