We have started giving "5 minutes" warnings to our daughter before transitioning to the next activity or before leaving the house. It seems to be working because it gives her a little warning before we abruptly move her from what she's doing to what she needs to be doing next.
What have you found works best for transitions?
pomelo / 5720 posts
We do the same. After realizing just how hard transitions were for DS, we needed to do something. It doesn't always work, but I think its still useful so he knows what's coming next.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
I try to. I don't do minutes usually, because I know he doesn't really get that, but I'll say "Okay, one more show and then all done" or "Let's throw three more hoops and then we'll be all done." Giving him a warning that the activity is going to end has been SUPER helpful in avoiding tantrums!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
Yes, it's a process, because sometimes I forget if we're running late.
I usually do 5 minutes, 2 minutes, and now.
pomegranate / 3858 posts
Yes, she's only 2, but I use minutes, and it's usually for bedtime. I make sure she's looking at me and acknowledges that she's at least heard the warning when I do it! Sometimes when I give a warning, she drops everything and wants to go upstairs right then. Strange kid 
watermelon / 14206 posts
Transistions work great with D. I usually give a time warning but I'll also say things like, "after this show is done," or "when I'm finished with my shower (or other thing I'm doing)." He does better when he's not surprised.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
Telling her 5 mins and then we are going to brush our teeth and then read before nite nite, helps a lot to get her in the bathroom without tears.
grapefruit / 4066 posts
Oh yes, we need to give time warnings for everything (bed, TV going off, brush teeth, dinner, etc)
hostess / cantaloupe / 6486 posts
Totally! She has an amazing level of comprehension right now which I am using to our advantage. I usually tell her "in 5 minutes, we're going inside/changing diaper/leaving Grammy's...." then I give her a 2 minute and 1 minute warning as well. It works great and we so rarely have meltdown. I hope the warning system works for any subsequent children because it makes life with a toddler so much easier!
eggplant / 11824 posts
@Adira: This is what we do too - instead of specific minutes we focus more on the activity. I will tell her when her show is half-way through that we're going to bed at the end of THIS show, etc.
grapefruit / 4278 posts
Yes, warnings about what is going to come next helps cut down the tantrums a lot!
honeydew / 7303 posts
Yep! It doesn't always work, but it does help the majority of the time
persimmon / 1396 posts
Yes we do. My soon to be 3 year old is notorious for saying "one more minute." It makes her feel that she is getting some leway with our activities.
grapefruit / 4923 posts
my son is 2, and starting a few months ago i would give him a countdown. usually 30 seconds or less--he's so young that i don't think he can comprehend too much more than that. so i find myself counting down at least 5 times a day to help him transition. he's usually okay with it, but sometimes it's a joke. or sometimes it's more like "one more book then bedtime".
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
Yeah I've been doing it for about a year! I try to lay out he next hour for him and then when we actually transition it's 5, 2, now. He does much better when he knows what's coming.
honeydew / 7444 posts
Yes always. We don't do minutes though because it isn't as effective. Tantrums happen because she can't finish what she is doing, not usually because she wants to play more. We usually tell her she can finish up her puzzle/show/game/whatever and we are putting it away.
pomelo / 5628 posts
Always! He might not be able to tell time, by he know what 5, 2 and 1 minute mean! And I also explain exactly what we are doing next. I repeat it a bunch of times before every bit transition (bed time, TV off). I've done it since he was prob a year or so.
pomegranate / 3438 posts
Yup, we set the timer on my phone and when it goes off he knows its time to do whatever I said we were going to do. It works great!
cantaloupe / 6751 posts
Yup, we do warnings. Usually I'll tell her, "Ok, bath time is coming to an end soon..." and then a few minutes later, I'll tell her she has 2 minutes left and I'll set the timer on my phone. Usually she's much more cooperative if I do that.
pineapple / 12566 posts
@KT326: We do this too! My son gets a kick out of me asking Siri to set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes, and he knows when the alarm rings, time is up.
pomegranate / 3643 posts
I do "three more." He doesn't know what minutes are, so I yell him to do three more of whatever he is doing. Three more basketball shots, three more blocks, three more sides. One more is too sudden and just causes him to dig his heels in. "Three more" is more concrete than minutes and gives him some control over the process.
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
Yes, and it has definitely helped reduce tantrums! I do a combination of minutes or activity ("you can play with blocks for 5 more minutes and then it's time for a bath!" or "after this episode of Blue's Clues ends it's time to put PJ's on!" or "we can read one more book and then it's time for bed!")
grapefruit / 4418 posts
Yes, along with looking for a natural break in her activity to make the transition. She's only a year old, so I don't know if She understands but I think it's the respectful thing to do an want to make sure its a habit we get into when she understand more.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
@jedeve: I used to do that as well, but then my son began trying to negotiate for more ( and before he realized it ) or less of whatever number I said, so I had to go to a no negotiating or you lose it policy, which just caused more stress.
coconut / 8861 posts
Yep. We use timers the most for transitions. On the potty, we count to 10 to be done with potty or poop. This week, I've used timers to help wake him up since he's impossible to wake up some mornings.
pomegranate / 3706 posts
Yes, we have for about a year now, with varying success. Transitions are hard.
coconut / 8430 posts
Yes, this has helped with the tantrums. We also have been using the timer on my phone to help her with understanding that time is up.
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