Re: Toddler meltdown

Kim wrote:

Any ideas on how to make the transition from daycare to home any
easier on him? I've been back at work for almost 5 months now and
this started rather randomly about 2 months ago.

Kim

We've noticed that at that age our kids were very sensitive to telling them in advance what would happen during a day. We cut the day into 3-4 bits, and start talking about them as soon as we get up. It works a bit like Dora the Explorer and her map: first we go have breakfast, then you go to daycare, then we all come home for dinner. This would give them a sense of control, or at least knowledge of what lies ahead.

In spite of this, they still have meltdowns. It is a way of coping with all the impressions of a day. It only happens when they feel comfortable enough, e.g. yesterday the kids were at home with DH all day, but as soon as I came home from work, all hell broke loose...

When they cannot be silenced, I usually put them in bed for 5-10 minutes. As soon as they quiet down I go in to console and hug them, and ask if they would like to help me with something. If they start screaming again, I tell them it is OK to be angry some more, but they will then have to stay in bed a bit longer. After the melt-down I make sure to have some one-on-one time. Life can wait another 10 minutes.

HTH!

I
--
mommy to TG and TB (2.5)
mommy of DS (5.5)
guardian of DH (age classified)
.

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