Using Music for Daily Transitions

This one is for all of you parents, caregivers, older siblings, teachers, and babysitters out there!

A transition in this case is going from one activity to another, like going from the house to the car and needing to get shoes on. Going from playing to doing bedtime routines and needing pajamas put on and teeth brushed. Getting dressed, getting in the car, walking from one classroom to another, putting groceries in the cart or on the belt at the checkout, etc. Any tasks that need to be done can be aided by the use of music!

If you’ve never tried to use music to help your child through a transition, I highly recommend it. It’s a simple concept: music is motivating, encouraging, and it can make a mundane task a lot more enjoyable. 

Let’s use the example of getting out the door to go to school in the morning. This is a big one for parents of all preschool and elementary aged children…we’re running late, and we need to get in the car! But the little ones are distracted by their toys, the dog, a random project or craft that they decided they needed to work on right at this moment. You’re flustered, your tolerance is waning, your frustration is building; you’re about to explode. We’re asking “Why aren’t they hearing me ask over and over for them to get their backpack on and go out to the car?”  

What if  we try music to get their attention?

Here’s a little ditty I made up on the spot- using the tune “Mary Had a Little Lamb”:

It’s time to get your backpack on, backpack on, backpack on

It’s time to get your backpack on and get into the car

It sounds silly, but really, it works! It’s also helpfu, not only to your child, but also to you,l because it breaks up your tension and frustration by changing the pace of the moment, the tone of your voice (literally), and encourages deeper and more regulated breathing needed for singing. 

In addition, it’s a familiar tune (any familiar song will do! Think simple and easy to recreate a song with- ‘Wheels on the Bus,’ ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’, even a tune from your child’s favorite tv show theme song), and your little one will likely join you at some point in singing it. Singing this tune will help them remember to do it next time and engage the child more in the day to day schedule rather than it being a seemingly arbitrary set of demands each day.

Maybe your child needs a little support with remembering the list of tasks they need to do each night before bed! I would highly recommend a visual chart for any pre-reading children or those that need more support at any age (many of us are visual learners, myself included), but music is also a great way to support memory! Ever wondered why you always go back to singing the ABC’s when alphabetizing things, or the songs you may have learned to remember the States, months of the year, or days of the week? Music supported you in that!

Here’s another example (to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle”):

It’s time to go right now to bed,

But first brush the hair all on your head.

Put on pajamas and brush your teeth,

Then pick a book for us to read.

It’s time to go right now to bed,

Lay down now and rest your head.

See how simple that is? You don’t have to be musical, a good singer, or have any experience writing songs/song lyrics. It just take a little creativity and out-of-the-box thinking!

Have any of you done this with your little ones?

What has worked for you?

Let us know in the comments!

Written by: Molly Harrell, MT-BC