Big or small, transitions can be tough. Not just for children, but for the adults supporting them. Whether it’s adjusting to a new routine, starting school, leaving the park, or welcoming a new sibling, change brings big emotions. In this conversation, longtime Montessori educators Regina Lulka and Blanca Sanchez share practical tools and insights to help parents, caregivers, and educators guide children through life’s many shifts with empathy and intention.
We’ll explore:
- Why transitions can feel so overwhelming for young children
- How to support emotional regulation during moments of change
- Practical routines, language, and mindset shift that truly help
Whether you’re navigating the daily ups and downs or preparing for a big life change, this talk offers grounded support and realistic tools you can start using right away. It’s not about doing it perfectly — it’s about showing up with presence, compassion, and a better understanding of what your child really needs.
In this video
If pajama time still ends in screaming, this talk with Regina Lulka and Blanca Sanchez is about moments like that. It is for parents and teachers of toddlers and preschoolers, and covers small daily shifts as well as big changes. Questions include settling into preschool, preparing a child for a move or a new baby, and a 2-year-old who cries at every transition. Toddler teachers get a part on moving the group to circle time and outside, and there's a chapter on what to do after you've snapped.
Chapters
- 0:00 Say what to do, not don't, and offer limited choices
- 5:42 Telling them ahead and a routine that ended car seat battles
- 8:51 Big changes start with you and what to say when plans change
- 12:16 Family rituals, short goodbyes and transitional objects
- 16:13 Giving them time to hear you and staying calm yourself
- 20:32 When you snap at transitions, and when to apologize
- 26:45 Settling into preschool and practicing short times apart
- 30:53 Rigid routines and potty training without a power struggle
- 34:33 Preparing a child for moving house or a new baby
- 36:38 Still screaming at pajama time: clear words, not questions
- 39:54 A baby who grabs plants or squirms through nappy changes
- 43:14 Toddler classroom transitions to circle time and outside
- 45:49 A 2-year-old who cries at every transition: time in nature
