Kids Who Need Attention

When your child ask you to play with them, cuddle them, or watch them and you are busy, say to them “For a minute” rather than “In a minute.” All they need is a moment of your time. You can stop what you are doing and enjoy them for 60 seconds. That is usually all they need, and then you can get back to your other tasks. Obviously there is quality and quantity of time that is necessary, but in general, when a child is asking you during a time that is not important (when you are on your phone browsing, on the computer, watching TV, etc) then you must show your child that they are more important than silly distractions. If you say “In a minute” and then 5 minutes go by or more, you have just shown your child that it is OK to lie. They understand at an early age what a minute is. When you pass the promised one minute, you are lying to them. They will internalize that and you are effectively setting your child up to become a lier, too! Be a promise keeper my friend! For a minute, not in a minute.