When it comes to parenting, I try to live by the words of famous Swedish children's books author Astrid Lindgren (Pippi Longstocking, anyone?).
Lindgren, who was a keen champion of children's rights and the importance of a good, happy childhood, said the following about how to raise children: "Give children love, love and more love. And then common sense will come by itself."
I mean; how right she was.
And with that in mind – I recently came across a parenting trick – or technique, if you will – that really seems to resonate with me – and so many, I think. Especially if you have more than one child, and you are forever trying to ensure you are spending enough time with each of them, and making time for a little one-to-one with everyone.
So – love bombing.
Sounds lovely? It is. According to
Babyology, the term was first coined and developed by psychologist Oliver James and involves spending a period of time alone with your child, during which you offer her “unlimited love and control.”
In his book,
Love Bombing: Reset Your Child’s Emotional Thermostat, James, believes that giving your child this intense experience can be a seriously effective solution for children with emotional or behavioural difficulties.
However, I think we can all agree that not just children with emotional or behavioural difficulties, but all children – even happy ones – will benefit from this lovely habit. “So many parents are, or have had, periods of living very busy or miserable or complicated lives, most of us need to reconnect with our children from time to time,” says James. “The method works equally well whatever your social background, ethnic origin, or nationality because the fundamental needs of children are the same everywhere.”
