Easing transitions… let music help you!
One of our lesson focuses for our Sing & Play family classes this month has been making transitions. All of you parents know about this dreaded moment of changing a baby or toddler's activity...
- It's time to go
- It's time to stop playing with the toy
- It's time to put the snack away
- It's time for bed
- ...And on and on!
We all know that transitions for any child about 6 months and older can be MAJOR… majorly upsetting, invoking major breakdowns and major issues 
. Children’s responses to these transitions, although they may be difficult to manage at the time, are not all bad. They show that a child is gaining in attention span, getting attached to an activity or object, and growing in concentration.
Here are few of Kindermusik’s secrets to working through these transitions:
How to make transitions easier for your child
1. As much as possible, give advanced warning. It isn’t always possible to do this in real life, but as much as you can, try to remind your little one that “in a little while, we’ll be putting this toy away, and doing this activity instead!”.
2. Keep routine and patterns are constant as possible. In Kindermusik class, we all know that Hello is followed by Lap Bounce, and that Quiet time is followed by Goodbye. Knowing what comes next gives your child a sense of confidence in routine, which makes transitions easier.
3. Include meaningful songs and rituals to help ease the change. A simple clean up song, singing goodnight to the stuffed animals first each night, or making up your own tune about a daily activity will all bring familiarity. Music is an amazing “soother” for young and old alike. Use it as your ally!
4. Offer limited choices: Do you want to put your bells away gently, or loudly? Do you want Mommy to go first, or you?
5. If you're not yet, enroll in a Kindermusik class! The weekly interaction with other moms, dads, and babies will super-charge your parenting energy and send you home with practical, exciting new tips and tricks every week! Start with a free introductory class today!
We can't wait to see you soon in class! ❤️
-The Kindermusik with 88 Keys team