Q & A: How Do I Create Emotional Safety For My Child? (Video)

Q. “I’m doing my best to be there for my child, but sometimes I am just out of steam in trying to be the perfect parent. How do I build a trusting relationship with my medically fragile child?”

A.  Thank you for your question and I can hear the exhaustion in your words. Let me say right off the bat that you do not have to be a perfect parent. Take that off the table and just do your best. Your child will respond to your effort, not your perfection.

In the video above I outline 4 guiding principles taken from an early pioneer of Play Therapy, Dr. Garry Landreth. The steps aid in creating a closer relationship and emotional safety with your child: “I’m here. I hear you. I understand. I care.” The concepts are simple to say and harder to execute.

Do your best to implement some of the steps and in time, include more. Once you are able to offer all 4 principles in a conversation or interaction with your child, you will find that your child is more at ease with you, shares more with you, and in time builds a more trusting relationship with you. It’s a win-win all around. Give it some time and practice and you will see your relationship with your child transform.