This mini-podcast was recorded a few years ago by me (April) and my friend Tricia Baird. 
Tricia had taken some parenting classes to certify to become a foster parent. Here she briefly shares a few pearls of wisdom, and three of her tips have made a HUGE difference for our community–with literally tens of thousands of people sharing this information. Come find out why!
Brief synopsis of the podcast:
(1) Children need a minimum of 8 touches during a day to feel connected to a parent.
If they’re going through a particularly challenging time, it’s a minimum of 12 a day. This doesn’t have to be a big deal–it could be the straightening of a collar, a pat on the shoulder, or a simple hug.
(2) Each day, children need one meaningful eye-to-eye conversation with a parent.
It is especially important for babies to have that eye contact, but children of all ages need us to slow down and look them in the eyes.
(3) There are nine minutes during the day that can have the greatest impact on a child.
- the first three minutes–right after they wake up
- the three minutes after they come home from school, and
- the last three minutes of the day–before they go to bed.
We need to make those moments special and help our children feel loved.
These are simple, right? Nothing really earth-shattering here.
But try it. For a month. And then I think you’ll see what I’m talking about. I honestly didn’t realize how much I could improve in this area, and though I still have lots of room for improvement, I can see myself becoming a better mom.
Music from Creations by Michael R. Hicks
Audio editing by Christy Elder
