Surviving Changes
When your toddler or infant is all settled in and handling their schedule just fine without any mishaps it’s easy to get overwhelmed when a change happens. Toddlers and infants do struggle with change, but surviving changes is part of life. No matter how young or old you are, this is something that has to be dealt with.
Whether it’s a big project or something at school changes, something changes and you need some tips to help with surviving changes during the toddler and infant years. That’s just what we’re doing today; we’re going to give you some parental advice on how to survive changes that your infant or toddler faces.
When Your Child’s Teacher Leaves
This is one of the harder parts of having a toddler or infant that has adjusted well to their school or daycare. They get used to having a special teacher and forming a bond, only to find out that their favorite teacher is leaving.
Parenting Advice for Surviving Changes With Teacher Leaving
First of all, remember that everything isn’t changing. As important as the teacher-child relationship is, it is only part of the big picture. Other areas will stay constant. Your child’s schedule will stay constant. The daily routine will stay constant. The other children in the group will stay constant. The other adults in the classroom will stay constant. And most importantly, you will stay constant. Continuity of group, schedule, activities, and friends will form a strong foundation for children to begin to adjust to a new teacher.
Second, view adjusting to change as a transition. It may take as much as two to six weeks for everything to settle down again after a favorite teacher departs. Children have to learn to accommodate changes. Adults may not like change but have many more adjustment skills than children do. In this case, time is a good friend.
Third, keep your schedule predictable. When your child loses a special teacher, he or she may wonder if you are going to leave, too. Keeping to your regular arrival and departure schedule reassures your child that you will be there for him/her. Tell your child goodbye when you leave in the morning. Never sneak out while your child is playing. He/she may cry when you leave, but you will be able to remind your child that you will be back, reinforcing that you will always be there for him/her.
Fourth, welcome the new teacher. Your child will be cautious at first and will be looking to you for cues as to whether the new teacher is acceptable. Greet a new teacher warmly, talk with her, and tell her about your child and yourself. Give your child a chance to warm up before you encourage him/her to interact with the new teacher. Don’t push too hard too soon for interaction between your child and the new teacher.
When Your Child’s Day is Lengthened
Sometimes parents have to stay at work longer or something gets prolonged and the child’s day is lengthened. This happens to the best of us, and so we wanted to help you survive this change that infants and toddlers may recognize.
Very young children have little perspective on time. But they do have a powerful sense of sequence. Just watch a younger toddler room. Although the children can’t tell you with words who will come in the door next, the right child will be waiting close to the door for his/her parents to arrive. The toddlers know the sequence of who arrives in what order.
Try to let your child’s teacher know if your routine is going to change. Sometimes teachers can offset your child’s discomfort about changes by letting him/her know in advance and preparing for the change. Your child’s teacher can alert your child that you will be a little out of sequence today and keep him/her from going into “waiting” mode too soon.
Changing Classrooms
This kind of change is a confusing one. Parents are often pleased that the change is coming up because it signals developmental progress for their child. But changing teacher and classroom are disconcerting experiences for very young children because so many things are changing at once – the teacher, the schedule, the context, and the group of friends.
KinderCare will try to offset the disruption by planning moves like this as a transition. It won’t be done all at once. Teachers from the new classroom will come to visit your child in his/her current classroom. Your child’s teacher will take him/her to visit the new classroom to play for a little while with a familiar face nearby. The move will take place slowly, starting with a visit and expanding to a whole day.
Here’s a great printable resource to help you keep your child’s daily schedule and routine constant
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