Transitions are all around us, aren't they? Transitioning to a new
school, new job, new baby, new car (even if it's used, hey, it's new to
us!)... We are always in transition. So, if you're in transition, I can
relate! I still remember the rush of things I had to get used to as a
new mom a few years ago. I went from having a full time job, a career of
my own, to facing budget cuts and lay offs (me!), and awaiting the
biggest transition of mine and my husbands' lives at the time, having
our baby. Later, I transitioned to going back to school, having a second
baby, and getting back into a full-time job... all at the same time!
(And don't ask me how many times we moved. Honestly, I think I lost
track.) Should I say, chaos? Well, it was a happy chaos that I could
live with.
Years later, I now find myself
transitioning again, feeling like I'm going back to that square one - my
husband and I found ourselves making the choice for me to stay at home
and start a family child care and to be able to stay at home with our
girls (now 2 and 4). I find myself working to create a routine that
works for my family and for the children I'll be caring for. This is challenge #1
for me. I'm routine resistant - I create routine, and then I break it.
It's one of those "rules are meant to be broken" for me. However, it's
not just about me, and I know that my girls need that predictability in
their lives, and so, routine it is! And it's benefiting me, too. I can't
remember the last time I consistently had 3 meals (and 2 snacks!) a day
- not to mention healthy food and not take out!
My challenge #2
is my environment. I'm used to my environment being ever changing, and
this is certainly no different. I was so proud when I set up my
environment for my child care - I felt it looked so beautifully staged
and inspiring - until I opened the door and my two little beta testers
scampered in and immediately began revealing to me the flaws in parts of
my design. Bubble officially bursted. I do realize, though, that a
good environment is so crucial to avoiding challenging behavior -
whether it be for my girls, or even me (a comfortable, adult-size chair
will need to be my first investment for the playroom... one week of
sitting in 2 ft. high Dora the Explorer chairs has not done my back much
good).
Finally, my challenge #3
is making it fun. Did I mention earlier how I was back at school,
working full time, caring for my kids (and occasionally my husband), and
trying to make time to volunteer at church (I'm getting dizzy already
as I type this out just thinking about it)? I have to admit. I fell into
some bad habits. I often felt very rushed, and in my
"feeling-rushed-edness," I rushed others. Bedtime routines very much
became chores. Dinnertime was a chore. Cleaning was a chore. Even hellos
and goodbyes even felt like chores. Some rougher days, anything keeping
me from getting some sleep was a chore. I unwittingly sucked the joy
out of what could be precious, enjoyable time together. So I'm retracing
my steps backwards and seeking that joy I once had. I'm singing songs
at handwashing time again. We parachute the blankets when making the
bed. My family even tended the lawn together - more like the kids got
muddier and muddier as mom and dad weeded and mowed - but I cannot
describe how "together" we felt, how accomplished we felt, and what that
did to my spirit. The photos featured were from that morning
together - we were dusty, sweaty, and happy together. I'm certainly not
where I want to be yet, but I feel I'm getting closer.
So what experiences have you had with transitions? Whether it be
in your homes, classrooms, work? I hope that you, above all, can keep
the joy in it and find a way to instill fun into your lives.
Blessings,
Adriana
P.S. This
weekend, I'm doing a training on transitions for fellow early ed
teachers in California. I'm excited to share some great resources I
found. Something you will learn from me is that I'm a resource hoarder.
At least I keep it digital (for the most part). Evernote and Gmail makes
it possible for me to never throw anything away again.... Anywho, I
thought I'd share below some links to various things I bumped into
online.
Resources for transitions:
"Planning Transitions to Prevent Challenging Behavior" - an article by NAEYC
"Routines & Schedules: How to Help Your Child Transition Smoothly Between Places and Activities" by CSEFEL
"Social Emotional Scripted Story Guide" by the Tenessee Teaching Pyramid Team
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