Children cherish undivided attention. When you give your child your full attention, you are letting him know he is important to you. Your undivided attention strengthens your relationship, increases your child’s self-esteem, and helps you understand him better. Still, with busy schedules and our modern, plugged-in lifestyles, giving our undivided attention has become rare. Revive […]
Use Your Eyes and Ears “This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.” – RALPH WALDO EMERSON
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Volume 1. New York, NY: Basic Books. Cohen, L. J. (2002). Playful parenting. New York, NY: Ballantine Books. Feldman, R. (2012, June 14). Bio-behavioral synchrony: A model for integrating biological and microsocial behavioral processes in the study of parenting. Parenting: Science and practice, 12(2-3). Gold, C. M. (2011). Keeping […]
An easy way to practice synchrony with your child is through turn-taking activities. It’s easy. Here are some ideas: • Reflect back. When you are interacting with your child, respond to her action with your own action that reflects her inner feelings. For instance, if she widens her eyes and smiles at you after you […]
• Your child’s first language is touch. It is through nurturing, affectionate touch that your child feels soothed, protected, and loved. You communicate volumes in how you hold and handle your child—and the power of touch continues as your child grows. • Remember that when you gaze into your child’s eyes, you are promoting the […]
Synchrony is the process through which the parent’s physical and mental systems become coordinated with those of the infant. It is like learning to dance with your child. In the beginning, the parent adapts to the infant’s states through repeated closely matched exchanges that include affectionate touch, eye contact, special words, songs, and vocalizations, as […]
Attachment is a deep, enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space. In a parent, attachment is an urge to protect and nurture. In a child, attachment is a physiological, emotional, cognitive, and social phenomenon. It is critical to a child’s survival. For a parent and child, attachment can begin […]
It’s All About Healthy Bonds and Healthy Brains “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.” – DR. SEUSS
Fonagy, P. (2001). Attachment theory and psychoanalysis. New York, NY: Other Press.
It may seem counterintuitive, but getting to know yourself a little better is also helpful to your child. Try thinking about the following questions: • How do you think your childhood experiences have influenced the person you are today? • Do you see any patterns of behavior that have been transmitted from generation to generation […]
