Like many of us, I've been following the story about the Bellflower, California octuplets with interest and curiosity. This morning, the mother, Nadya Suleman, was on the Today Show, insisting that she will provide her babies with unconditional love and attention.
It's a basic and obvious fact that babies need unconditional love and attention. However, actually providing this can be extremely difficult with just one baby. For parents with multiple babies who may have developmental problems, it's a massive struggle without additional support from family, friends, medical doctors, developmental specialists, and other outside help.
I've written often on this blog about how crucial the relationship is between a parent and child, right from the start. It is the very foundation of a child's healthy social and emotional development. Through this critical first relationship with mother, babies become kids who can communicate appropriately, manage their feelings, play well with other children, and empathize with others.
It is hard enough to develop and nurture but one relationship with a single newborn infant, not to mention an additional seven who may also experience developmental delays due to their prematurity. For even the most amazing mom, eight is just too much.
Showing posts with label parent-child interactions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parent-child interactions. Show all posts
Friday, February 6, 2009
Monday, September 22, 2008
How to Spend Quality Time with Your Child
1. Turn off the TV, put down that magazine article you were reading, get off the internet. Finish the laundry a little later.
2. Set aside twenty minutes a day to play whatever your child wants, not what you want. And remember, no video or computer games, please!
3. Let your child take the lead. If your son wants to run around the yard wearing his favorite tablecloth "cape" playing superhero, join him! Offer to be his side kick. Ask him what role you are supposed to play. Ask him to show you what his superpowers are.
4. Remember that it is through play that children are able to express and work out diverse emotions, from being scared and helpless to powerful and omnipotent. By trying out different types of feelings and roles, children develop a better sense of self and how they fit into the world.
5. Play also teaches your child specific skills such as creative problem solving and logical thinking. Help him to build bridges within the play. A simple way to do that is by asking, "And then what?" or "Now what's gonna happen?" or "What do we do now?" But, let him be the one to determine what, exactly, that should be: "Show me!"
6. Be willing to enter your child's world according to the rules governing the play he has initiated. By doing so, you demonstrate that you know how to honor him and his internal world, including the full range of his emotions and creativity.
Bottom line: By spending time in child-centered activity each day with your son or daughter, you will build a better, more loving and respectful relationship with your child.
And who doesn't want that?
2. Set aside twenty minutes a day to play whatever your child wants, not what you want. And remember, no video or computer games, please!
3. Let your child take the lead. If your son wants to run around the yard wearing his favorite tablecloth "cape" playing superhero, join him! Offer to be his side kick. Ask him what role you are supposed to play. Ask him to show you what his superpowers are.
4. Remember that it is through play that children are able to express and work out diverse emotions, from being scared and helpless to powerful and omnipotent. By trying out different types of feelings and roles, children develop a better sense of self and how they fit into the world.
5. Play also teaches your child specific skills such as creative problem solving and logical thinking. Help him to build bridges within the play. A simple way to do that is by asking, "And then what?" or "Now what's gonna happen?" or "What do we do now?" But, let him be the one to determine what, exactly, that should be: "Show me!"
6. Be willing to enter your child's world according to the rules governing the play he has initiated. By doing so, you demonstrate that you know how to honor him and his internal world, including the full range of his emotions and creativity.
Bottom line: By spending time in child-centered activity each day with your son or daughter, you will build a better, more loving and respectful relationship with your child.
And who doesn't want that?
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