Maintaining Eye Contact

If you have a positive interaction with your child, it increases the chances for healthy attachment.  Make a game of it by having you and your child standing across the room from each other.  You count slowly to five.  If your child maintains ete contact that whole time, he or she gets to walk toward you by taking two steps. If your child has trouble maintaining eye contact, use the blinking method.  When you blink once, the child can take another step; if you blink twice, the child can take two steps foward.

The game ends when the child reaches you.  You can end it with lots of pizzaz and a hug for doing such a great job of looking you in the eye.