ABSTRACT
Many children spend too much of their time in passive activities, such as watching TV, and do not learn to feel confident in their own skills or pride in their own achievements. Parents of children with developmental challenges or difficult behaviour can spend a lot of time helping their children learn to do things that are difficult for them or trying to stop them from misbehaving or harming themselves. Attending makes children feel that they are valued in their own right. Attending helps children know that their parents value them as individuals, appreciate the things that they do and are not only concerned with getting them to do as they are told. Children who are good at following instructions or advice generally do this because they have a positive relationship with their parents and want to please them because of the interest that their parents have shown in them.
