So at age 2 the CDC defines “shows defiant behaviour” as a developmental milestone. Yup. That screaming, crying, resistant to evvvvvverything little person is doing exactly what they should be.That means it is also time to start building kids' social-emotional skills so they can navigate transitions, cope with lower interest activities, and all around get through their day with ease. Often kids will pick a specific routine, like bedtime or getting dressed, to dig in and push back on again and again and again. This is where visual routines can help alleviate the power struggle AND foster independence as a child internalizes the routine. Win-win.Toddlers can see the steps visually laid out. It gives them ownership over the process, which is the first step in keeping a child well regulated. A visual routine also establishes a set of steps that remain consistent every single time the routine is carried out. When a child starts to negotiate, the caregiver can refer back to the visual schedule to keep everyone on track.If your child starts to push back, remain calm, cool and confident and refer back to the visual routine. You can validate their feelings and acknowledge that they would like things to be different but that this is something we need to do to be able to continue our day, and then stick to the routine to help build that predictable rhythm. In a handful of days, the routine will be back on track and your child will know how to navigate through the process (without tears).Join Earlybird to download all our visual routine resources. We have print and go routines already made for you, a blank template to draw your own OR a cut & paste version that comes with visual steps that you can order yourself to personalize your routine to the child.
Parenting
