6. Be Intentional About Transitions:

Transitions are a hard time: you’re usually on a deadline, carrying a lot of stuff, thinking about ‘adult’ things that need to get done and are not in the mood to listen to screaming about the missing bunny your child wants to find before they will leave. While it’s easy to get into power struggles during transitions, simple routines and plans can help to avoid these types of power struggles. Routines had predictability to the day, for example if your child knows they get to only watch two TV shows after school before they start their homework, they will already be prepared and ready to transition when the show is over because they expect the instruction and can predict their day. Also, “don’t over-schedule your child… this can be hard with trying to fit in appointments, school, errands, etc. Make sure your child has plenty of time to play, hang out at home/outside, and just be a kid… no playdates or structured anything. Schedule down time on your calendar!”