Before, During, After Map
Early Childhood, Nursery Transitions and Playtime Meltdowns
Under fives can move from calm to overwhelmed very quickly. This map offers gentle, practical options to support transitions, steady the moment, and learn what the wobble might be communicating.
Before the moment
For many preschoolers, the hardest part is the switch. Their brain may understand what is happening, while their body still reacts as if it is unsafe or too fast.
What might be happening underneath?
- Time blindness. Five minutes can feel invisible, so change arrives like a surprise.
- Executive function overload. Many steps at once can jam the system.
- Sensory stress. Labels, socks, noise, smells, and busy rooms can stack up quickly.
- Big feelings with small language. They may feel worried or frustrated without words for it yet.
- Fast bodies. Impulses can take over before thinking catches up, which can look like “won’t” when it is “can’t yet.”
Support that can help
- Make the routine visible. Pictures or a simple first then strip.
- Make the steps tiny. One step, then a warm acknowledgement, then the next step.
- Practise transitions when calm. A playful rehearsal can make the real switch feel safer.
- Use countdowns they can feel. “Two more turns,” or “When this song ends, we switch.”
- Set the body up for success where possible. Sleep, breakfast, and a short movement burst before leaving.
Gentle prompt
If this is not defiance, what might it be today? Overwhelm, worry about the switch, sensory stress, or not knowing what happens next?
During the moment
The goal is regulation, not reasoning. A calm adult can help a small child feel safer, even when things are loud.
What matters most right now?
- Safety and connection first. Get low, soften your face, slow your voice.
- Reduce the load. Fewer words, fewer choices, fewer people in the space if possible.
- Move away from stimulation if you can. Hallway, outside air, or a quieter corner.
- Validate the feeling while holding safety. “This is hard.” “I will keep everyone safe.”
Support that can help
- Offer one simple body helper. Sip of water, chewy snack, squeeze toy, wall push, slow rocking.
- Offer deep pressure only if they like it. A firm hug, blanket squeeze, or hands on shoulders.
- Offer two calm choices that keep things moving. “Hop like a bunny or stomp like a dinosaur to the door?”
- Use first then language and repeat it. “First shoes, then car.”
- If you are both escalating, pause for a reset. Three slow breaths, then return with fewer words.
Gentle prompt
What is the smallest kind next step you can hold steady, with their dignity protected and your boundary still clear?
After the moment
After calm is where skills can grow. Keeping it short and kind helps learning land, without a long review of what went wrong.
Repair first, then learning
- Reconnect through closeness. A cuddle, a story, or quiet play can help the body feel safe again.
- Name it simply. “That was too much,” or “The change felt scary,” then pause.
- Notice recovery. “You calmed your body.”
- Keep any follow up small and linked to safety, not punishment.
Support that can help
- Make a quick detective note. What happened just before? Noise, hunger, rushing, a demand, a toy change.
- Adjust the Before plan. Shorter steps, more rehearsal, earlier warning, fewer choices.
- Build feeling words through play. Happy, cross, worried, tired. Act it out with toys.
- Practise a simple script. “Next time I can say help,” or “Next time we do a squeeze then shoes.”
- End with belonging. “You are not in trouble for having feelings. I am here to help your body feel safe.”
Final message
In the early years, big reactions are often a skills gap and an overload signal. Smaller steps and steady support can help children learn that change can be safe.
Case Studies
Two early years moments that are common in busy homes and nursery settings. Notice how the Before work can reduce how often you need the During steps.
Case study 1, Getting ready for nursery
- What it looks like: A 4 year old hears “get ready” and gets stuck, wriggles, runs off, melts down over socks, or collapses into “no.”
- What might be underneath: Too many steps, time feels invisible, and the switch from play to leaving lands like a shock.
- Before support: Use a picture routine or first then. Offer one step at a time. “Socks,” then warm acknowledgement, then “Shoes.” Add a simple warning. “Two more turns, then socks.”
- During support: Keep words low and slow. Reduce the task to the next tiny step. Offer one body helper. “Sip of water or squeeze?” If it is spiralling, step into a quieter space and reset together.
- After support: When calm, name it simply. “That was hard.” Notice recovery. Make one tweak for next time, earlier warning, fewer steps, or a calmer start.
Case study 2, Playtime meltdown in a busy room
- What it looks like: The room gets loud, a toy is grabbed, or the game changes, and your child screams, throws, or hits.
- What might be underneath: Overstimulation plus frustration, with not enough words yet to explain the feeling.
- Before support: Notice early signs. Faster movement, louder voice, snatching. Add mini breaks. Water, snack, a movement burst, or a quiet corner option.
- During support: Stay calm and keep everyone safe. Simplify. Move away from noise if you can. Offer one regulation tool. A comfort object, calm corner, or sensory break. Offer deep pressure only if it helps your child.
- After support: Reconnect first. Then one simple meaning. “It got loud and that felt too much.” Offer a plan for next time. “We can take a quiet break,” or “We can ask for help.”
Gentle prompt
Which part feels hardest right now? The preparation, the moment itself, or the repair. One tiny change is enough.
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What this pearl is all about
When children tip into full-blown distress – red-faced, fists clenched, or wailing – something important is happening inside their brains. Especially if there’s trauma in the mix. The rational part goes offline and the survival system takes over. Fight, flight… sometimes both at once. And in that state, calming down on their own is almost impossible.
That’s where you come in. By staying steady – calm body, calm voice – you become the anchor. It’s not glamorous, but it’s powerful. Your calm nervous system helps to steady theirs. Psychologists call it co-regulation. I call it being the anchor in their storm.
The tricky bit, of course, is regulating yourself first. Because their anger can be contagious. It’s very easy to catch it, to snap back. But if you can keep your cool – soften your tone, ground yourself – you transmit calm instead of panic.
And when you do that, you’re saying something profound without words: even at your worst, you’re still safe with me. Over time, those storms lose some of their terror. The child begins to believe it. They borrow your calm again and again, until eventually they start to grow some of their own.
What you could say in the moment
“I can see you’re feeling a really big storm inside right now. It’s okay – I’m right here with you, and you’re safe. Take some deep breaths with me. We will get through this together.”
(Said softly, perhaps while offering a reassuring hand on the shoulder if welcomed, conveying that you are not angry and will stay by the child’s side until the emotional waves settle.)
(Said softly, perhaps while offering a reassuring hand on the shoulder if welcomed, conveying that you are not angry and will stay by the child’s side until the emotional waves settle.)
What this pearl is all about
Children in foster care don’t usually lie in the way adults think of lying – not with the cold calculation of a fraudster in a Netflix documentary. More often it’s a kind of survival tactic, almost automatic. Trauma specialists even talk about it as a “fourth F.” You’ve heard of fight, flight, freeze… well, lying becomes another option. Not to get one over on you, but to dodge the sting of shame, or the dread of being punished, or simply the awful feeling of being powerless.
That’s where the Curiosity Lens comes in. Imagine putting on a pair of invisible glasses or holding up a magnifying glass. Instead of seeing the fib at face value, you start to see what’s underneath it – the fear of rejection, the nervous energy, the shame the child doesn’t know how to name. With PACE in mind – curiosity and acceptance especially – you suspend the moral outrage, the urge to shout “just tell me the truth,” and you lean in gently instead.
It’s not about catching them out. It’s about keeping the conversation alive. As one parenting guide wisely put it: stay exploratory, keep wondering aloud. If you shame them, they’ll close the door. If you stay curious, they might just leave it ajar.
And when you respond with genuine interest – “I wonder what made it hard to tell me…” – you send a message that’s bigger than any single lie: I’m not here to trap you, or humiliate you. I’m here to understand you. That, over time, is how trust grows. They learn you’ll meet their honesty with compassion, not punishment. And that changes everything.
What you could say in the moment
“Hmm, that’s an interesting story you’ve told me. I wonder if maybe it feels safer to say that than what really happened? If you’re worried about getting in trouble, you don’t have to be – you are safe with me. Whatever happened, we can sort it out together. Can you help me understand what’s going on?”
(This phrasing invites the child to explain, without outright accusing them of lying. It uses "I wonder" instead of "You’re lying", signalling curiosity. You might even playfully put on “magic truth glasses” with your fingers, if age-appropriate, to lighten the moment and show the child they’re not angry.)
(This phrasing invites the child to explain, without outright accusing them of lying. It uses "I wonder" instead of "You’re lying", signalling curiosity. You might even playfully put on “magic truth glasses” with your fingers, if age-appropriate, to lighten the moment and show the child they’re not angry.)
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What this pearl is all about
Many children in care carry a kind of hidden script in their heads. It says: I am bad. It’s my fault. They don’t usually say it out loud, but it’s there, humming away. It comes from years of early hurt, of being rejected again and again. Some even learn that if they show real feelings – sadness, anger, longing – it might lead to punishment, or worse, abandonment. So they tuck those feelings away, and the shame festers.
This is where the Acceptance Shield comes in. It’s less superhero cape, more everyday armour. You hold it up, deliberately and consistently, to protect the child from those shame-arrows. It means making a very clear distinction: I don’t always like your behaviour, but I always accept you.
In PACE terms, it’s acceptance and empathy working in tandem. You meet the child’s feelings as they are, even the messy ones. You empathise with the shame they’re drowning in. And practically, it means tempering your own response. No harsh telling-off. No thunderous disappointment. Instead: “You’re not a bad kid. I get why this happened. And I still care about you.”
Because here’s the thing: children watch closely for whether their inner world is safe with you. If you counter their self-criticism – “I’m stupid, I’m bad” – with calm, believable truths – “You’re good, you’re worthy” – you’re teaching them a new script. One where they’re not discarded for messing up. One where they’re covered.
And when you hold that shield day after day, the child starts to believe it. Their sense of self stitches back together. They start to grow resilience against shame and rejection. And in that, the bond between you becomes their secure base – something solid, at last, in a life that’s often felt shaky.
What you could say in the moment
“I know you feel really bad about this. It’s okay – we all make mistakes, but I want you to hear this: I’m not angry and I’m not leaving. I love you no matter what. Nothing will change that. Let’s figure out how to make it right together when you’re ready.”
(This script explicitly assures the child of your enduring acceptance. Phrases like “no matter what” and “nothing will change that” directly address fear of rejection. You might literally open your arms like a shield or put an arm around the child if appropriate, to physically reinforce the feeling of protection and safety.)
(This script explicitly assures the child of your enduring acceptance. Phrases like “no matter what” and “nothing will change that” directly address fear of rejection. You might literally open your arms like a shield or put an arm around the child if appropriate, to physically reinforce the feeling of protection and safety.)
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What this pearl is all about
Defiance in children can feel like a brick wall. They cross their arms, scowl, and say “No!” with the kind of finality usually reserved for magistrates. And you feel that surge of frustration rising – the urge to push back harder. But there’s another option.
The Playful Pause is about puncturing that tense balloon with a bit of silliness. A ridiculous face. A pretend dragon lurking in the room. A mock-serious “emergency” about socks refusing to cooperate. It sounds daft, and in a way it is. But daftness is often what works.
The magic of playfulness is that it pauses the power struggle. It shifts the dynamic from “me against you” to “me with you.” For a younger child, it might be full-on theatrics. For a teenager, maybe a raised eyebrow and a wry, self-deprecating joke. Either way, it says: I’m not your enemy. We can reset this together.
It doesn’t mean ignoring the behaviour. It just means you’re smart enough to know that humour can sneak past defences that sternness never will. And once you’ve both laughed, even a little, the wall crumbles. Suddenly there’s room to carry on. Together.
What you could say in the moment
In a mock-serious narrator voice: “Oh no... the Defiance Dragon has entered the room! It’s making us both all grumpy. Quick, I have an idea – I’ll make a funny face to scare it off… 😜 See, the dragon is laughing! Can you give it a try? [Child pulls a face] Hooray, we scared it away together!” (Both laugh, tension breaks) “Alright, shall we give (the task) another go now?”
In this playful script, you create a tiny imaginative game (“Defiance Dragon”) to externalise the child’s defiance as something we can team up against playfully. The exact script can vary widely by age (for a teenager, humour might be more understated, like you suddenly doing a goofy dance and saying “Ugh, what a morning – shall we hit reset and start over?” with a grin). The essence is to surprise the child out of the stuck position with levity. Your willingness to be a bit silly shows the child it’s safe to drop their guard. Once the child smiles or giggles, even briefly, the emotional climate shifts – we (you and the child) are connected again, and the task or issue can often be revisited with less resistance.
In this playful script, you create a tiny imaginative game (“Defiance Dragon”) to externalise the child’s defiance as something we can team up against playfully. The exact script can vary widely by age (for a teenager, humour might be more understated, like you suddenly doing a goofy dance and saying “Ugh, what a morning – shall we hit reset and start over?” with a grin). The essence is to surprise the child out of the stuck position with levity. Your willingness to be a bit silly shows the child it’s safe to drop their guard. Once the child smiles or giggles, even briefly, the emotional climate shifts – we (you and the child) are connected again, and the task or issue can often be revisited with less resistance.
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What this pearl is all about
When a child withdraws – shuts the bedroom door, curls up silent on the bed – it’s tempting to take it personally. To knock loudly, or to storm off yourself. But here’s the truth: often what’s happening is less about you and more about the child drowning in feelings they can’t quite put words to. Shame, sadness, fear.
The Empathy Bridge is about reaching across that gap. Not forcing them to talk, not demanding eye contact, but sending a quiet signal: I see you. I understand. And I’m here. Maybe it’s a few calm words through the door. Maybe it’s leaving a note or a favourite snack outside. Maybe it’s just sitting nearby, available.
The visual is a bridge of hearts or hands. You stand on your side, they on theirs. And you extend something across – empathy – so when they’re ready, they can walk back over. The bridge is patient. It doesn’t collapse if they don’t use it straight away.
This says to the child: Even if you push me away, I won’t give up on you. And in time, that’s how trust is built. They learn that silence won’t scare you off. That feelings won’t break the relationship. And that you are a steady presence on the far side of the cliff, always waiting, always ready to welcome them back.
What you could say in the moment
(You speak through the door or next to the withdrawn child, calmly and kindly): “I know it’s been a really upsetting day. If I were you, I might want to hide under the covers too. Just wanted to say I understand why you feel that way, and it’s alright. I’m here whenever you feel like talking or even if you just want a hug. Take your time – I’m not going anywhere.”
(In this script, you're naming and normalising the child’s likely feelings, showing empathy: “I’d feel the same if I were in your shoes.” There’s also an explicit assurance of presence: “I’m here… I’m not going anywhere,” which is crucial for a child worried about being given up on. The tone is gentle, not demanding a response. You might sit quietly nearby, or leave a soft toy or drawing materials as an invitation. The child then knows the bridge is there whenever they are ready to cross back into interaction. Even if the child doesn’t respond immediately, such messages sink in and over time the child will trust that the carer truly cares and empathises with them.)
(In this script, you're naming and normalising the child’s likely feelings, showing empathy: “I’d feel the same if I were in your shoes.” There’s also an explicit assurance of presence: “I’m here… I’m not going anywhere,” which is crucial for a child worried about being given up on. The tone is gentle, not demanding a response. You might sit quietly nearby, or leave a soft toy or drawing materials as an invitation. The child then knows the bridge is there whenever they are ready to cross back into interaction. Even if the child doesn’t respond immediately, such messages sink in and over time the child will trust that the carer truly cares and empathises with them.)
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