• Try a more child-centered approach.
Giving attention for good behaviour using a technique
from the Parent-Child Game called ‘attends’.
This is where you describe what the child is doing minute-by-minute.
(We do this to babies but we stop doing it when they
get older.) This strongly encourages the child to carry
on with whatever activity they are involved in and it
works well with children who lose interest easily
• If your child asks a question, for example ‘where
does this go’, repeat the words ‘where does
it go, let me see or let me think’, rather than
rushing in with a solution straight away
• Allow your child to choose the game or the toy
for both of you to play with.
• Let your child lead the play. Cut down on commands,
teaching criticism, questions and saying ‘no’
• Remember that playtime is for the child where
we help them to experience interesting and enjoyable
activities. It is not for us to show off our skills
in colouring in between the lines and making the Lego
car!
• Try it and see what happens and enjoy yourselves.
• Don’t forget to ignore minor naughtiness.
If
you do you are not alone. Many of us have felt like that.
I used to also feel upset when my son would lose some
of the things I bought for him and because of that we
could not play the game properly. When we feel like this
playtime is not fun and we feel punished instead.
