ABSTRACT
Your home practice was to start a regular play time with your little children or arranging a Parent Date with those who are of school age. Have you done it? Even the younger ones benefit from a Parent Date—both Mother Dates and Father Dates. This may be the first time the child has had either Mother or Father all to himself/herself. Your aim is to be together, parent and child, with no one competing for the parent’s attention. You want to have fun together and talk with each other, even with your little ones. The benefits come quickly from such interaction with their parents, their most important people. It is as if the child thinks, “There is no one here but Daddy and me and he is having fun. I must be O.K. He must like me.” It will always be one of your most vital encouragement efforts in your parenting, especially if you keep it up regularly.
