How I Help my Daughter With Transition

by Kim
(Ottawa, Ontario)

Hello everyone,

My DD has a problem with transitioning from one activity or daily chore to another.

Does this sound familiar to you?

Theresa is playing in her room and I walk into my room not more than 10 feet away from her room.

Me: "Theresa go brush your teeth"
Me: "Theresa go brush your teeth"
Me: "Theresa go brush your teeth"
Me, louder now "THERESA GO BRUSH YOUR TEETH!"
Me, even louder now
"THERESA GO BRUSH YOUR TEETH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Now I'm starting to think perhaps she has left her room and went downstairs?

Me: "Theresa do you hear me?" "Where are you?" "you better answer me!!!!!" "If I have to go and find you, you are in big trouble!!!!"

Theresa: what?

Me: "Theresa go brush your teeth"
Me: "Theresa go brush your teeth"
Me: "Theresa go brush your teeth"
Me: "Theresa go brush your teeth"
Me: "THAT'S IT, YOU ARE GOING ON A TIME OUT AND A LONG ONE!!!!!!!!!"

Theresa: ok, I'll go brush my teeth
Me: "too late, you have to do your time out first"

Now I'm thinking...well that backfired because I am trying to get her to hurry up so we don't miss the school bus.

I need a better way to get her to listen and do as she is told without going through all that!

I found the solution, well it works for now anyways. Here is what I do:

Me: I walk up to Theresa and hold up five fingers and say "let's see if you can brush your teeth before my five fingers disappear"
Theresa: with a big smile on her face "okay" runs and brushes her teeth while I slowly count and put one finger at a time down. I always let her think she has one so I always have at least 1 finger left up. She loves the fact that she one the "game".

I do this "game" everytime she is having a hard time transitioning from one activity to another or just to get her out the door faster it works for dressing, brushing teeth, eating, getting them to put their seat belt on etc...

Now this might not be the best way to get them to learn their daily routine or chores but in a pinch it works great!

Cheers!
kim :)