“I think you can go anywhere,’ says Very Big Crab. And off they went.”

from Don’t Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton

What a wild ride this month has been for all of us! From children helping to pack up the classroom at Arch St to now helping take care of our new plant family in our new home at N 22nd St and all the laughs, tears, and hugs in between. We are slowly but surely getting back into our routines and sense of normalcy, as seen below. Children are enjoying our new seating options at lunch where more than 1 or 2 friends may enjoy eating lunch together.

This month I want to share some strategies you can use as you support your child through transitions, such as, toileting, sleeping in a new bed, daily transitions between activities, or a new baby in the family. Whatever the case may be, learning how to navigate change and new experiences is a life skill that children begin to encounter at a young age.

As many of us know, children love routine but part of life is experiencing change! So how can we as adults assist in the most seamless transition as possible? One of the easiest ways to do this is through bibliotherapy, in short, reading books on the topic. Please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher at any time for ideas of books.

It’s also important to consider involving your child as much as possible throughout the transition so they still feel as if they have some sense of control.

Here are just a few ideas for the most common transitions toddlers will encounter:

• Toileting- begin with stand up diapering in the bathroom to make the child familiar with where thye will go to use the toilet, as they show interest they may choose to use the toilet at each diaper change, then leading up to the big moment the child can choose their underwear (polka dot, stripe, red, white, etc.)
• Traveling- child may be involved in choosing what activities they will use in the car or plane, help to pack a ‘snackle’ box (small tackle box with each compartment holding a different snack)- older toddlers may even help to cut and prepare food, look at pictures and/or vidoes of where you’ll be visiting
• New home/school- pick out a plant or a book to have in current home then move it with you into the new location so there is something that is already familiar to them, Google maps to see surrounding area and any other pictures or videos that may be helpful
• New baby- children may help with laundering the new sibling’s clothes or in setting up the nursery, singing or reading to baby in utero

February Happenings:

Books of the Month:

Upcoming Events:

March 11: Open House 9-11am, please invite your friends and family!

March 17: No School (professional development for GTMS staff)

March 27-31: No School (Spring Break)