My answer: 

I really wish there were some magic strategy that we parents could just deploy in a way that our sharp-as-a-tack child wouldn’t notice — It doesn’t exist.

 

The minute you change any aspect of a child’s familiar pattern, they will notice….and they will let you know that they notice. There’s no way around it. You can tiptoe slowly into a pool or you can cannonball off of the diving board, but either way,

you will get wet. This means that even if you take teeny tiny baby steps, there’s going to be a moment when you stop doing what you’ve been doing, and you do something different. THAT’S the moment that we’re usually worried about…and for good reason. We’re a little terrified of that moment because we know there will be H-E-double hockey sticks to pay…possibly.

 

The key/tough love message is that you will have to push through the pushback….because it’s gonna happen. The key is to be ready and know that it may take your child a couple of days to get over the surprise of change. If you can 1) know that it’s going to happen and 2) be okay with that, then we can be consistent and patient. What often happens is that parents doubt themselves. They make a change, their child goes absolutely ballistic, and parents interpret that as an indication that they’ve made a wrong choice…or they didn't do it right. Not true. Your child just hates change…and that’s okay. We can empathize and support them, but still move forward with the change…because they WILL acclimate…eventually. 🔆