The 5-minute playtime ritual that can help your kids listen
Aug 14, 2023
13:49
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Quick takeaways
Special time is a powerful tool that strengthens the bond between caregiver and child through play and positive interactions.
Implementing special time, a child-directed interaction technique, can improve behavior, enhance the parent-child relationship, and positively influence a child's self-perception.
Deep dives
Special Time: A Research-Backed Practice to Strengthen Caregiver-Child Relationships
Special time is a behavior management technique known as child-directed interaction or child-directed therapeutic play. It is a foundational component of parent-child interaction therapy, proven to strengthen the bond between caregiver and child. By creating a break from the constant demands and commands children face, special time provides an opportunity for play and positive interactions. Engaging in special time not only fosters closeness and attachment, but also increases the likelihood that a child will listen to and value what a parent has to say.
How to Implement Special Time with Your Child
Special time involves setting aside 5 to 10 minutes, ideally four times a week, for one-on-one engagement with your child. Any imaginative activity can be chosen, such as drawing, playing with dolls, or building with blocks. Calling it 'special time' helps create a sense of importance for the child. During special time, unique rules apply, including refraining from giving directions or asking questions, and ignoring undesirable behaviors. Instead, parents should focus on praising specific actions, reflecting the child's words and emotions, imitating their activities, describing what the child is doing, and expressing enthusiasm. Through practice and genuine attentiveness, special time can bring about a stronger parent-child connection.
The Impact and Applicability of Special Time
Special time is beneficial for children ranging from toddlers to school-age kids and is recommended for every caregiver looking to enhance their relationship with their child. Its positive effects extend beyond behavior improvement, helping children develop a more positive self-perception and nurturing a sense of connection with their caregiver. The power of play and direct attention received during special time can profoundly influence a child, motivating them to change their behavior. Implementing special time requires practice, but the growing bond and increased skill in special time make it an invaluable tool for all caregivers.
Children's health professionals widely recommend a strategy known as 'special time' to help reduce behavioral issues in young children. This episode explains how to do it and why this simple and free tool is so powerful.
