Parents: Traps to Avoid When You Are Doing Floortime

Following the child’s lead without an agenda is most difficult for a parent because he/she
has so much emotional investment in the interaction. It can be frustrating and even in
some ways paralyzing.

Common Challenges for Parents

• “Teaching” instead of setting up an interaction in which the child has to think and
is motivated to think.

• Overreacting to avoidance and perceiving it as an emotional rejection.

• Trying to steer the child to “normal” play behavior because it feels good like an
accomplishment – especially rehearsed play exchanges that have been practiced
with the child.

• Being so afraid of “aberrant” behavior that we avoid using it for interaction (the
dreaded idea that we will “reinforce” the strange/undesirable behavior.)

• Not challenging the child enough because we know how hard it is for the child to
accomplish things.