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Tackling Tricky Transitions 

Tired of morning meltdowns and bedtime battles?

Transitions can be some of the hardest moments of the day—for both kids and parents. But with the right strategies, you can turn stressful struggles into smoother, more connected moments.

Let’s face it…

You and your family navigate countless transitions each day—getting dressed, heading out the door, school drop-off and pick-up, bedtime routines, and more. These moments can be some of the most stressful parts of the day. And on top of that, they also set the tone for the next few hours—or even the entire day.

You’ve probably tried everything—planning ahead, using charts and prompts. You’ve followed all the “right” parenting advice and tried to apply all the best parenting “scripts” for each struggle…

But your toddler still refuses to wear a jacket on the coldest days or buckle into their car seat without a battle.

Here’s what I want you to know:

You’re already doing SO many things right! It’s completely normal for little ones to resist transitions, no matter how perfectly you handle them. But one of the most powerful shifts you can make is learning to regulate your own emotions—because when you stay calm and steady, you help your child do the same.

AND HERE’S HOW YOU CAN LEARN TO BRING CALM TO THESE MOST CHAOTIC MOMENTS:

Tackling Tricky Transitions: A Parent’s Toolkit For Navigating Those Difficult Moments

Science-backed strategies to transform difficult moments into opportunities for connection and joy, setting the tone for your entire day!

Inside you’ll learn…

  • Understand the key reasons why these moments often lead to stress and resistance.

    Learn the basic neuroscience behind stress reactions and how they impact both you and your child.

    Understanding the fundamental science will help you make sense of these tough moments and develop strategies that actually work.

  • Learn more about your little ones developing brain and how to leverage a few easy techniques to help them follow along with the routines you have planned.

    Gain insight into your child’s emotional regulation abilities and what is truly developmentally appropriate.

  • Parents' emotional states significantly impact their children (duh, right?). But let’s talk more you WHY.

  • Not just quick tips and scripts! Learn about 3 foundation strategies that will help you cruise through any transition: 

    • Preparation: Anticipate challenges and prepare mentally to stay grounded using vizualiation techniques. 

    • Acceptance: Embrace the situation without judgment to prevent stress escalation (it’s about regulating your nervous system, NOT about giving up) 

    • Playfulness: Use humor and play to ease transitions and reduce stress.

hi! i’m dr. jen.

I’m a family medicine doctor, mental health specialist, and most importantly, mom of 2 wild little ones!

I created this guide because I’ve personally felt defeated by the daily transition battles. From a child with tactile sensory sensitivities who hates getting dressed to managing solo bedtimes with two under two, I found that these in-between moments were often the most overwhelming part of my day.

But when I started looking at these struggles through the lens of nervous system regulation and co-regulation, I uncovered the underlying factors that were making transitions so difficult. I realized that most of the challenges boiled down to three key issues:

  • Unrealistic expectations or not anticipating likely challenges

  • Difficulty managing my own emotions in response

  • Not fully understanding the role of co-regulation in shaping my child’s behavior

The Tackling Tricky Transitions guide helps you identify which of these challenges may be affecting your family and provides practical, science-backed strategies that support both your child’s needs and your own well-being.

It’s not about perfection

Even the best parenting strategies and perfectly worded scripts won’t make every moment of parenting effortless.

But you can build resilience to handle these transitions with more ease. This guide helps you understand why your little one struggles during these moments, and why they can trigger such a strong emotional response in you.

Once you understand the why, navigating the how becomes so much easier.