During a child’s life a number of important transitions take place which are unavoidable and are part of growing up. These transitions can be positive or negative for the child, depending on the nature of the experience. Some events are always stressful (such as a death in the family), while others may be positive (such as a are experienced as positive or negative, depend on a host of factors.
Amongst the most important factors which determine how a child will experience and react to a new transition are the temperament and age of the child. A child who is shy, or lacking in self-confidence, will almost always find any transition or change in normal routine stressful. Young children who do not have the maturity or cognitive capacity to understand and anticipate transitions will often find them more stressful than older children, though this is relative and depends on the situation.
The family situation, and how parents cope with transitions, is also crucial because children so often model their behaviour on that of their parents. If a child sees that parents are highly stressed because of the changes, he too is likely to react negatively. If, on the other hand, the parents react positively, the chances are that the child too will take a positive approach to the change. The nature of the transition itself is important of course, as well as the amount of preparation the child has had in anticipation of the change.
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