When the child arrives: 'Three jumps before anything else.' Jump together. Three full jumps, as big as possible, in 8 seconds. The bilateral physical movement and brief vestibular input shift the nervous system out of sustained-attention mode. It sounds too simple to work. It works. Do it alongside them every time. If you stand watching, it becomes an instruction; if you jump with them, it becomes a ritual.

How to do it

1'Three jumps first. Ready?' Jump with them — not at them.
2Three full jumps, as big as possible. That's the signal school is over.
3Then proceed. Snack, bag down, whatever comes next.

Variations

If they don't jump — walk past, stand there, ignore it: don't repeat the request. Keep jumping alone, bigger each time, until they can't resist joining on the third one.
How it ends: land the third jump and flow straight into the next thing — 'and... snack' turns the landing itself into the transition, not an announcement that the game is over.

💡 Parent tip

Do the three jumps yourself every time. If you stand watching, it becomes a command. If you jump, it becomes a shared transition.

What your child develops

Vestibular state change — bilateral jumping provides the physical input that shifts the nervous system out of sustained-attention mode
Conditioned transition signal — a consistent physical action marks the boundary between school and home