Nursery World - Behaviour: transitions

Transitions can be a challenging time for parents as well as children

The process of weaning, occurring towards the end of the first year, is perhaps the first major transition in a child's life and may give an indication of the style of the child and parent in managing future major transitions. Weaning marks an important stage in the baby's developing independence when the intimate, inward-looking nature of the relationship between mother and baby is relinquished and the baby becomes increasingly aware of her separateness from her mother, gradually looking outwards to the world beyond her.

Some babies and their mothers seem to make this transition with apparent ease while for others this process is more difficult. The personality of the baby will play a part in how this can be managed; some babies seem naturally more robust while others are more sensitive. However, for successful weaning to take place, the mother needs to take responsibility for the process, to be sensitive to her baby's changing needs and feelings and to trust that ultimately both she and her baby will be able to survive the feelings of loss and move on.

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