Importance of Giving Your Child Positive Attention

Positive attention can help you in recognizing the early communication needs of your children, and make them feel happy. By displaying simple gestures such as cuddling, smiling or talking, you can easily communicate with baby and bring warmth in your relationship.

In the initial months of growth, children need to develop faith, security and love to connect with parents. However, for parents also, it is difficult to recognize the personality of their babies or understand what they are trying to communicate. To engage babies in a two-way interaction, make them feel safe and generate responses from them, parents need to shower positive attention on them.

How to Use Positive Attention?

Irrespective of their age, children have the ability to pick up negative and positive emotions or body language. Hence, you need to exercise caution in your gestures, words and expressions while interacting with them. Positive parenting ways change with the child’s age.
For the little ones, positive attention is a sure shot assurance that you are always there for them. It will also help you to understand what they expect out of you. Here are some simple ways to communicate with babies during everyday activities such as, playing, bathing, changing nappies, dressing or feeding.

• Smile every time the baby looks or smiles at you.
• Cuddle your baby to reassure your presence and care.
• Rock him in your arms when he cries.
• Establish a direct yet gentle eye contact with your baby as long as he does the same.
• Engage your baby with happy facial expressions.
• Sweet talk to your baby using funny sounds or words.
• Nod your head in appreciation or encouragement.
• Tickle him and giggle with him.
• Read his body language to understand his needs.
• Be patient even if your baby is crying a lot. Cries are a baby’s primary way of communication. Read his different ways of crying to understand his different needs.
• Holding, cuddling or feeding are some of the best ways to respond to his needs.
• After 7 months, babies try to reach out and touch all kinds of things. You need to keep a watch on baby to avoid any dangerous situation.

Benefits of Positive Attention

The way parents show their love for children or behave in their frequent interactions can make a considerable impact on children’s growth.

1. Builds Trust and Security

In the early years of growth, children need and enjoy the special attention from parents. This is their way to reaffirm that their parents are always there to love, care, support and protect them.

2. Increases Confidence

Positive parenting goes a long way in raising confident children. With positive communication on display, babies feel delighted and also learn what to expect from their parents. As they age further, a nurturing environment can build their self-esteem and handle social interactions in a better way.

3. Develops Need-based Communication

Positive attention ensures that you tune your means of communication according to the changing needs of baby’s growth timeline and let his personality blossom well.

In a scenario where you are busy, stressed out or are unable to show positive attention to your children, the least you should do is to be calm and patient to stay connected with them. Positive attention is the best way to encourage appropriate behaviour in babies.