Transitions - Getting Ready For Summer - What's In A Word?

If you really think about it life is really a series of transitions. From one stage to another, from one day to another, from one season to another. Getting ready, being in the midst of it, getting ready for the next one. For people who are comfortable with change transitions aren't a problem. Then there are the rest of us.

Now imagine you're a child and suddenly someone is telling you that your daily life is about to change or whoops! it changed and no one told you. That's what it can feel like for a child if you haven't prepared them for what is about to come.

I heard a great example of this yesterday. It seems there was a young child who was putting on his winter coat to go to school. The dialogue went something like this

His mother - no, that coat isn't good for today.
Child - Why?
Mother - Because it's summer outside.
Child - What's summer?

And so it goes. Children are so literal. I always loved it because I'm so literal myself that it was a pleasure to deal with them on that level. Words have very little meaning for them because in many cases they don't know what the meanings of the word are.

The word "summer" is meaningless unless the child can attach it to something.
Ditto for words like "vacation", "camp", "road trip" and on and on.

In order to prepare children for an easy and seamless transition I suggest a few easy steps that I coach my clients to use. They overlap but with children (of all ages) repetition is often necessary.

* Define
* Explain
* Plan

Taking into account the specific child's age and knowledge/awareness level -

Define - When you say "summer is coming" define what summer is. The weather changes, it gets warmer, we wear different clothes, there's more daylight, school is closed, camp is open, we're going on a trip.


Explain What will summer mean in your household? Will you be on the same time schedule? Will parents be home during the day? Will they be going to a pool or camp? Will it be sleep-away camp or day camp? Will menus change? Will sleep habits change? Later bedtime? Summer homework? Trips?

Plan Involve children (as much as possible) in planning and arrangements for the summer. Ask their preferences for different activities, foods, clothes etc. This teaches them decision making skills, cause and effect and more.

Activity Tips:
- Make summer charts and plans with the children. For young children have them create a poster or "book" of pictures of things they anticipate, or would like to do, during the summer. Older children can create summer and summer planning journals.

Something To Remember Words are just words to children. They might not have the stores of memories and word connections to make a word or thought something real. Summer is just a word to a child who doesn't remember what it entails. Be patient when you talk to them and make no assumptions that they understand words or concepts.

Enjoy the day your way,
RK
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Rebecca Kiki Weingarten M.Sc.Ed, MFA
Daily Life Consulting