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Help! My Child Always Wants Attention
By Dr. Ron Taffel, Family Therapist
Question:
My daughter is in trouble once a week.
She likes to get attention all the time and it interrupts the class and her work. She won't listen to the teacher at all. I have taken away her TV and restricted her to her room. What can I do to stop her wanting attention all the time and help her learn to get the right attention at the right time so she can do her work and pass?
Answer:
I am going to give you a little homework about this that may make a huge change in the way things feel around the house. This suggestion has helped many other parents. Keep a brief log of the time spent with your daughter - just sharing a good moment together - not monitoring, not scheduling, not managing. Keep it for a couple of days or a week. See if you are spending a few minutes each day enjoying each other's company: reading together, playing a board game, having a relaxed dinner time. Don't blame yourself or your child if you immediately notice something is missing. Chances are, if you're like most of us, we end up spending less time connected during those better moments of childhood than we would like. If you can add just a couple of positive minutes together to look forward to, your daughter may need less of the wrong kind of attention.
Advice from our experts is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment from a health-care provider or learning expert familiar with your unique situation. We recommend consulting a qualified professional if you have concerns about your child's condition.
