Effects of Transition on Children
Transition is a change that takes place in every life, some may absorb the changes easily and some get disturbed by them. Mostly it is difficult for children to accept the changes in their environment, lifestyle, surroundings, and family.
Transition can affect in four ways:
- Bodily
2. Spiritually
3. Functionally
4. Mentally
Bodily transitions may be taken as changing educational institute, leaving old house and settled in a new one, or maybe simply moving from an activity to another.
Children are impacted spiritually by experiencing different situations in their life. They may be: deprivation, divorce or separation of parents, getting a lot of care, or being ignored.
Pubescence or facing medical conditions for a long time can be taken as examples of transitions in life that may affect functional development.
Mentally changes may include pre-school to primary school, also from primary to secondary school.
How transition affect child development?
Every child reacts to situations in a different manner. It all depends on his personality and the environment they are living in. They may react quite, aggressive, rude, harsh, or even don’t react according to their environment. They may revert or become intellectual, may work efficiently, or forget to do homework. When the thing is masticating at a child, they may react in the form of drawing some strange thing, acting in an unusual manner, and doing and expressing their problem in abnormal conversation.
The most common change that occurs in child life is changing their schools maybe because of location or academic issues. This transition makes the child timid and depressed about losing his friends and school. This stress can cause mental and physical illness. They may show different moods, they may lose their appetite, face sleeping issues. These reactions show how the child is affected physically and emotionally by the transition. Nevertheless, transitions/changes do not only have a negative impact on child’s behavior but also affects them positively.
Support the transition and strategies:
Children are very touchy to the new changes which occur in their life. Even a little change causes stress. Toddlers and infants are attached to the family, routine, and environment of their home. It is very difficult for them to cope with these transitions. It is important to keep in mind the impact of changes on a child’s mind.
For a practitioner and parent following strategies should learn which will help to cope with the changes.
· To infants and toddlers give them extra affection and care, show them closeness by hugging them and holding them to feel comfort in times of change.
· Infants are learning to be calm in situations. For this give them more stuffed toys and animals from home, family photos which help them in learning the important skills.
· Guide the child for the upcoming transition by developing an understanding of what will occur or what will happen next. These include feeding, changing the diaper, napping, and any new changes in other collaborators.
· For a pre-schooler make a picture for daily activities and paste it on the wall at the eye level of the child. This will help the child in reminding the task and telling you what will be the next task.
· Make a rhyme or a short song or phrase to greet the children while picking up, dropping off, before going to bed, and after waking up. This will bring a positive impression of the child’s learning.
· Make a plan of movement activities for example: guessing the games, arranging the items, hands in the air, etc. It will bring intellectual improvements in children.
Reflection:
In the setting, the strategies mentioned above were applied. Different children came to settings that we're going through transitions of different kinds. Some were moving to school(infant& toddler to early learners and early learners to pre-schoolers). Some were depressed due to family breakdown i.e. their parents were getting separated or divorced.
Following strategies were applied as a practitioner which gave maximum positive outcomes.
· It started with the interaction with the child which leads to speaking up out of their comfort zone.
· More love and affection were shown towards children which made them feel that there is someone who cares and listen to their issues and problems and will play a supportive role.
· Communication with the parents about their child and telling them about circumstances which they’ve faced. It bought a positive response in the parent and children bonding.
· Made links with school teachers and caregivers asking them about the current situation of the child and the concerns which are still needed to deal with.
· Made daily routine charts and upcoming events which developed the interest in the child about the upcoming task.