Tip #7 “My child gives me a problem every time I want her to do something different - what do I do?”

Tip # 7   

“My child gives me a problem every time I want her to do something different -
what do I do?”

This is a common situation both at school and at home for many of our young learners.  
They become so occupied in whatever they are doing, that they do not want to stop. They do
not have a concept of time yet, so even if you tell them for example, at 9:00 you
have a dentist appointment, they will not understand to be ready to go just before this.  
Here are some ways to help you adjust this time concept and help with
these transition times:

Give a Fair Warning   If your child “pitches a fit” whenever you announce it's time to
switch gears --whether that means shutting off the TV, stopping play to come to eat, or
leaving a friend's house -- it could be that you're not giving enough advance notice. "At
school we let kids know when transitions are coming so they have time to finish
whatever they're doing," observes Cohen-Dorfman. "If you need to leave the house
at 8:30 a.m., warn your child at 8:15 that she's five more minutes to play, they will have
to stop to put her toys away. Set a timer so she knows when the time is up."

Transition Signals  You could also train your child with a signal to let them know that
a change is about to come:  clap your hands, sing a song, play music, ring a chime.
Whatever you decide, allow your child time to understand and get used to this.