Why is delight the most important child-caregiver interaction?

Attachment research has found that babies and children have a set of core needs that must be fulfilled most of the time in order to develop secure relationships. One of those core needs and perhaps the most important, is delight.

Delight is mutual joy and pleasure within the parent-child relationship; it is about reflecting the experience our children have within ourselves and saying “I watched you play and I loved it” just as much as they enjoyed playing. It is equal fascination in the outcomes of learning and exploration. Delight is communicated with our eyes, bodies and energy- it is felt through laughter and hugs. Delight is showing unconditional love and appreciation for who they are as a little human. Delight fills their soul more than anything. It says “I am interesting, important and I have so much to offer”

We love our bath-time coconut shells because it gives one of those beautiful opportunities for increased closeness in the day- babies love the experience of water massage, the gentle flow through their hair, the sound of their own tiny waterfall tumbling around them. The process of pouring water is repetitive, therefore it is soothing. The water is warming and familiar. Baby is held to look directly into your eyes throughout these experiences. In those moments, you can almost see those neurons firing!

What a beautiful private universe to be within.

Here is the ultimate bundle to create oodles of oxytocin in your day!