038: How Holding Space for Children Gives Us Back Our Time

When children are well-regulated, we spend less time regulating them. Less time spent on tantrums and arguments, means more time for us and for ourselves.   When we invest a bit of time upfront, we get our time back.   So how do we do that? To help children be more balanced and well-adjusted, we show them that they matter and are important to us. We do that by giving them our time and attention. This is also known as "holding space" and creating quality moments that can last from a short few minutes and much longer.    Lack of time boundaries may hold us back from making time.   We may be hesitant to engage with the child and struggle holding that space for them, because we worry that it may take too much time. We may feel uncomfortable wrapping up and moving on, and that can prevent us from truly engaging with children in  a meaningful way.    In this conversation we talk about how to set comfortable time limits around your attention and how to transition out of holding space in two ways:  Indirect transitions  Direct closures     Sign up here for the Emotionally Intelligent Parenting training.   Host: Julia Pappas, Psychologist & Parent Coach With questions and comments, please reach out on Instagram @theparentingpresence. Additional info is available at theparentingpresence.com