P A R E N T  t o  P A R E N T

Transitions
Stop Sign...Road Curves Ahead

By Jodee Kulp
www.betterendings.org

Ever try to get a mule to do something....We used to call our daughter the Indy 500 Race Car since that was exactly what she sounded like when hitting a transition. How to you get them to move, then they have their feet in the ground, head in the sand and sirens blaring?

• Distraction: Distraction takes advantage of short attention spans and guides them from undesired activities into desired ones.
• Removal: Very young children quickly forget about what they can't see.
• Surprise: A sudden noise - clapping hands make get their attention
• Humor: Make up silly songs, stories, situations or rhymes to lower tension, create diversion and elicit cooperation or prevent disaster.
  • One mother screamed it's a bear, we've gotta get out of here, grabbing her son as she ran out the door and slammed it shut. Curious the boy asked "Where's the bear?" "Well ,"said the mother, I know when you begin looking like that and making those noises you were going into a rage and then YOU are the bear and I had to get us both out of there to be safe."
• Replacement: Trade undesirable toys, unsafe places, unsafe situations, friends or behaviors for acceptable ones.
• Play games:

• "Let's see who can (pick up, do three letters,  the most in five minutes!"
• "I'll close my eyes and you surprise me by getting (out, dressed, teeth brushed etc)  as quickly as you can. Ready. Go!"