When working with families, one of my first recommendations is that parents create “special time” for their child.  Parents are often confused by this and quickly state that they spend a lot of time with their child.  However, often the time spent with their child is “management time”.  The time is spent making sure they get dressed, brush their teeth, do their homework, etc.  One of the requests that I hear over and over again from children is that wish that their parents would spend more time with them.

Special time can be as short as 10-15 minutes per day and may include time with either parent.  Often it is nice to alternate special time with each parent.  Some guidelines for special time include:

• Be as consistent as possible when offering special time
  • Schedule approximately the same time each day
  • If you need to change the time, make sure you let your child know ahead of time
• Allow your child to chose the activity during special time
• Avoid giving instructions or correcting them during this time, unless absolutely necessary
• Don’t forget to have fun with your child during special time

Both you and your child will benefit from the time you spend together.  Often parents report that they begin to see their child in a different light and appreciate them even more.