Be prepared to repeat an activity until your child has mastered the skill they are learning through playing. For example, you might need to scoop sand repeatedly. Children learn by repetition.
Interacting with the child lovingly helps build early attachment relationships. Children who developed secure attachments with their caregivers during infancy showed better outcomes in social development during childhood and adolescence, such as in the areas of empathy Kestenbaum, R., Farber, E., Ellen, A., & Sroufe L. A. (1989). Individual differences in empathy among preschoolers: Relation to attachment history. New Directions for Child Development, 44, 51-64. Sroufe, L. A. (1983). Infant-caregiver attachment and patterns of adaptation in preschool: The roots of maladaptation and competence. Minnesota Symposia on Child Psychology, 16, 41-83. Sroufe, L. A. (1983). Infant-caregiver attachment and patterns of adaptation in preschool: The roots of maladaptation and competence. Minnesota Symposia on Child Psychology, 16, 41-83. Thompson, R. A. (2008). Early attachment and later development: Familiar questions, new answers. In: Cassidy J, Shaver PR, eds. Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications. 2nd Ed. New York: Guilford Press, 348- 365. Egeland, B. & Carlson, B. (2004). Attachment and psychopathology. In: Atkinson L, Goldberg S, eds. Attachment issues in psychopathology and intervention. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 27-48. Lyons-Ruth, K., Easterbrooks, M. A, & Cibelli, C. D. (1997). Infant attachment strategies, infant mental lag, and maternal depressive symptoms: Predictors of internalizing and externalizing problems at age 7. Developmental Psychology, 33(4), 681-692.
Research carried out by the Harvard Center on the Developing Child has shown that "
When a young child talks, gestures, or cries, and an adult responds appropriately with eye contact, words, or a hug, neural connections are built and strengthened in the child’s brain that support the development of communication and social skills.
Talking with the child is a form of contingent communication where parents pay attention to what children are trying to communicate and respond positively and consistently. This mode of communication creates a secure environment where children learn to trust that they have someone to depend on in case of need. Siegel, D. J. (1999). The developing mind. New York: Guilford. Siegel, D. J. (2001). Toward an interpersonal neurobiology of the developing mind: Attachment relationships, “mindsight,” and neural integration. Infant Mental Health Journal, 22, 67–94. Cortazar, A., & Herreros, F. (2010). Early attachment relationships and the early childhood curriculum. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 11(2), 192–202.
When early attachment relationships are mainly warm, positive and consistent, the child feels safe with the caregiver, who becomes a "secure base" from which the child can feel free and confident to explore and interact with the world. Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. New York, NY: Basic Books. Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Juffer, F. (2003). Less is more: Meta-analyses of sensitivity and attachment interventions in early childhood. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 195–215. Landry SH, Smith KE, Swank PR. (2006). Responsive parenting: Establishing early foundations for social, communication, and independent problem-solving skills. Developmental Psychology., 42:627–642. Barnas, M. V., & Cummings, E. M. (1994). Caregiver stability and toddlers’ attachment related behaviour towards caregivers in day care. Infant Behaviour and Development, 17, 141-147.