Parenting Tip: Instituting Special Time

Special time is the most important tool you'll have in your parenting tool belt. It is a focused, uninterrupted amount of time that you actually set the timer for with your toddler or your child. Be it as short as 5, 10, or 15 minutes, but it's a time where you take out all distractions and make sure you're totally focused. It's a great way to bond, connect, and see where your baby is. For an infant, you would lay out a blanket, some simple toys, get down on the floor with them, set that timer, and just observe.

For a toddler it looks more like, “What do you want to do for special time? Let's go set the timer. We have 10 minutes today.”

And then they might bring you a book to read to them, they might want to get out a puzzle, but it's just a time that you're focused on only them and it's amazing to see how it fills their emotional cup and really takes them forward.