How can transitions affect the social development of children

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Take a look at the words associated with transition: Change, evolution, conversion, shift, move, switch, alteration, modification Transitions require young children to put forth great amounts of effort, not only physically, but emotionally, socially, and cognitively; all areas of development.

Transitions: predictable, unpredictable, and emotional To understand how transitions affect children, think of how transitions affect you. Transition preparations Children transition better when they are prepared: They know what is about to change, they know what they will need to do, and they have caring adults to help. Look to the following for some ideas on preparing for transitions: Be supportive, attentive, and nurturing Transitions work well for children when they feel well cared for and nurtured.

Early years practitioners have an important role to play in supporting children when they are experiencing strong emotional upset. Keeping to familiar routines, such as going to nursery, can help to reduce a child's anxiety. It is important to remember that some transitions will affect the whole family and parents may also need support.

Staff should offer information such as advice line numbers and details of recommended professional bodies in a supportive and professional way. Skip to main content. You are viewing free content from a subscription product Croner-i is a comprehensive knowledge and resource platform that enables professionals to stay ahead of change in their industry, with legislation, trends and best practice.

Printable version Share. Moving from home to nursery or childminder Starting at an early years provision or childminder offers exciting opportunities as well as challenges, and this transition needs to be managed sensitively and effectively. Offer parents a welcome pack with photos of the staff and the provision. Offer staggered admissions. Invite parents to stay with the child as they adjust to the new environment.

Encourage children to bring a familiar object from home, such as a teddy or blanket. Access and read all incoming information on individual children. Have a parallel procedure for children who start in the middle of terms or at other times. Meet with staff to review and update transition policies and procedures. SEN A transition for a child with special educational needs SEN or disability may need additional planning to ensure that it is smooth and successful from the beginning.

Moving from room to room within the provision Practitioners should be aware that even when children are happy and settled it can be a big step for them to move to a new room within the provision with older children or different activities and routines. Humans are creatures of habit. Even when we welcome it, change takes more energy. Being asked to stop one thing and start another is a very common trigger for problem behavior, especially for kids who have emotional or developmental challenges.

Difficulty with transitions can manifest in a number of ways depending on the child and the setting. It can take the form of resistance, avoidance, distraction, negotiation or a full-blown meltdown. Some of these reactions are the result of kids being overwhelmed by their emotions. Other kids may not tantrum but instead master the art of whining, distracting, or negotiating with the adults in their life.

And while the behaviors may be the same, experts point out that the reasons behind the behavior are different for kids with different challenges. Here we look at why children with ADHD, anxiety, autism and sensory processing issues, find transitions particularly difficult. While the disorder is described as an attention deficit , experts say it may be more useful to think about it as difficulty regulating attention — turning your attention to something you are expected to do, rather than something that you find rewarding.

When they do find something rewarding, they tend to hyper-focus on it, which explains why someone with ADHD seems all over the place but then can play video games for hours. Ask them to do something less rewarding like putting away Legos , and you might hit resistance. Michael Rosenthal, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist, adds that children with ADHD have a tougher time managing their emotions than other kids. Although transitions can be similarly challenging for kids with autism , the reactions tend to be more extreme, and the issue is rooted in a different difficulty.

The change can affect a child's lifestyle for example if there is mourning or the need to accept a new brother or sister. Whatever the change, it's essential that the child feels safe. The childcare worker needs to understand the child's concerns and deal with them in order to help the child settle. The child might worry about a number of factors such as:. Children can experience changes such as having a new brother or sister. A child will have created a strong attachment with their mother and due to the new baby, the mother will have to give most of her attention to the baby who is completely dependent on her.

British psychoanalyst John Bowlby has studied children's emotional and social development, and he defined the attachment theory. The attachment theory states that a baby needs to form one special primary attachment. Bowlby believed that a baby needs to develop this attachment by the end of the first year, and if the child was separated from this person for long periods during the first four years, the child would suffer psychological harm.

This is why young children find it hard to cope with transitions, but with time they become accustomed and come to understand that they will return to their primary carer. Bowlby showed that meeting the child's physical and care needs alone was not enough for healthy development. Bowlby claimed that the child also required constant support from the primary carer. Children need support, stability and someone to comfort them and help them to cope with these changes.

Changes allow children to develop strategies to be able to control their behaviour and emotions. Beth bynnag yw'r newid, mae'n hanfodol bod y plentyn yn teimlo'n ddiogel. Efallai y bydd y plentyn yn poeni am nifer o ffactorau megis:.