Attachment: Play with Baby

   Playing with your child naturally builds the parent child attachment. Interact with your baby by smiling and mimicking his coos. Play peek-a-boo, act silly.  When you get a positive reaction from your baby, she’s letting you know that your nurturing techniques were successful. If your child is unresponsive, respond as if he has reacted to you in the way you wanted him too.  Learning preferences takes time. The more your baby associates positive feelings with you, the stronger the developing relationship, the more competent you will feel.

Babies are naturally interested in human faces. Use eye contact in everyday actives with baby.  Most likely when you move around the room and interact with child, she will follow you with her eyes. If a child is uncomfortable with eye to-eye contact they feel threatened. Be careful to avoid excessive eye contact.  Children may retreat, or turn their head’s.  If a child feels you are too close for comfort, let him view you from a distance. He may need more time to develop comfort with closeness. If your child refuses, don’t force it. Instead choose actives that may help strengthen it.  Play peek-a-boo or other games that require brief and lengthening eye contact.  By using play, feelings of threat can be minimized and that opens the child up to attachment.