Help Your Preschooler Deal with Change

The world we live in is full of constant change. Young children are not immune to these often stressful situations which can lead to children being overwhelmed with information, new schedules, new people and more. Even as adults, most of us appreciate some level of “sameness” or familiar repetition in our daily lives. Changes, big or small, can be overwhelming to adults, so you can imagine how these situations can make younger children feel.

Children thrive on predictability of daily routine. It makes them feel comfortable and more in control of their environment & day to day activities. Inevitably, our children will be affected by changes such as going to a new school, welcoming a new sibling to the family, or even moving to a new home. Our early childhood experts have put together some tips for how to help preschoolers and young children cope better with change, big or small.

Helping Children Cope with Change

• Give advanced warning. Have a discussion about what is happening and why. “The place where daddy works thinks he will be a bigger help if we move to another place. We are going to look for a new house a few hours away. Will you help us pick out the house?”
• Keep as much the same as possible. During a big change, like adding a new sibling to the family, try to keep as much about your child’s daily routine the same as possible. For example, this is not the best time to also move your child from a crib to “big kid” bed or switch rooms all together.
• Answer all their questions. Depending on how old your child is, they may have a lot of questions. Do your best to answer them all, even if some are repeated many times. This is building their confidence that everything will be alright in the end.
• Expect some regression. At times of change, children may regress to earlier behaviors. For example, a child who was toilet trained may revert back to having accidents. Changes in behavior or attitude are also common so strive for patience during this time.
• Be accepting of grieving. Your child may go through a process that looks a lot like grieving as they navigate new waters with a changing situation. Whether it be a new house, sibling, teacher or school, reassure your child it will be OK and listen, don’t be too quick to distract, and at the end, remind her of all the positives.

One of our best tips for dealing with change is to pay a little extra attention to your preschooler. It will go a long way in helping your child deal with stress. Try to schedule an hour or a half hour each week where your child has your undivided attention. Play games, go to the park, find out what your child wants to do and follow your child’s lead. Play time is important for helping your child to develop and a few play sessions can help relieve stress that comes with big changes.