Many children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) missed out on typical baby-snuggle time when they were infants and toddlers. They might not ever have had someone who held and rocked them, sang them silly songs, tickled their toes, or told them nursery rhymes.
A huge part of connecting and bonding with children with RAD is through daily Snuggle Time: a time of taking your child back to babyhood and filling them up with the nurturing that they missed out on and need for healthy social, emotional, and physical development.
Children need 15– 30 minutes of snuggle time EVERY DAY. Some children can not handle that amount of nurturing all at once, and parents can break it up into smaller chunks and spread it throughout the day.
During this special bonding time, feed your child sweet milk sugars while holding them in your arms as you would a little baby, rocking them and telling stories or singing to them. Lactose (sweet milk sugar) is a very big part of infant bonding! When your child looks into your eyes, put a bit of a treat into their mouth while smiling into their eyes.
Snuggle time should be a time full of laughter and fun, with the parent ALWAYS being strong and in charge; children need to quietly listen so they can soak in their parent’s love.
(This time is NOT the time to lecture your child about their misdeeds of the day, nor to ask or tell them how to do things better!)
Here are some ideas to get you started:
(Tune: the Farmer in the Dell)
1. My Mommy keeps me safe,
My Mommy keeps me safe,
Hey HO! That’s great to know!
My Mommy keeps me safe.
2. My Mommy is in charge…
3. My Mommy watches out…
4. My Mommy loves me so…
5. My Mommy comes back…
Popular Children’s Songs
- This Little Light of Mine
- Little Red Wagon, Paint it ____
- I’m a Little Tea Pot
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Humpty Dumpty
- She’ll be Coming ‘Round the Mountain
- Jesus Loves Me
- Old McDonald Had a Farm
- Little White Duck, Swimming in the Water
- I Love You, You Love Me
- My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
- Ten Little Indians
- Baa, Baa Black Sheep
- My God is So Big
- If Your Happy and You Know It
- The Farmer in the Dell
- Five Little Monkeys
- Five Little Ducks
- Hey Diddle Diddle
- I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
- How Much is the Doggy in the Window
- Hush Little Baby
- Rock-a-Bye Baby
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- This Old Man
- Pop Goes the Weasel
- I Have Something In My Pocket
- Jesus Loves The Little Children
- Wee Willie Winkie
- The Muffin Man
- Sing a Song of Sixpence
- Rub-a-Dub Dub
- Little Bo Peep
- Diddle Diddle Dumpling
- Jack and Jill
- Three Blind Mice
- Polly Put the Kettle On
- London Bridge
- Little Miss Muffet
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
- Hush Little Baby
- Braham’s Lullaby
- Morning Town Ride
- Peter, James, and John
- Kookaburra
- Sweetly Sings the Donkey
- Why Doesn’t My Goose
- Ol’ King Cole
- The Duke of York
Baby Games
- This Little Piggy
- Pat-a-Cake
- Ring Around the Rosie
- Peek-a-Boo
- Light Tickling
Sweet Milk Sugar (lactose)
- Caramel pieces
- Vanilla or butterscotch ice cream
- Vanilla or butterscotch pudding
- yogurt covered fruit
- Raisins or Craisins*
*Use these with children that have dairy allergies or intolerance
Songs to Play while Rocking
For a few minutes (10 – 15) a day, rock your child in your lap, playing soft music and stroking their hair or cheek while smiling lovingly into their eyes. First thing in the morning or before bedtime is a great time to do this!
- Mozart for Babies (YouTube)
- How Could Anyone, song by Shania Noll
- Arms, song by Christina Perri
- You Raise Me Up, song by Josh Groban
- Songs For the Inner Child, album by Shania Noll
- How Deep the Father’s Love For Us, song by Stuart Townend
- Bedtime With the Beatles, (instrumental version), album by The Beatles
- Babies Go Beatles (YouTube)
I’ll Love you Forever, I’ll Love you for Always,
As long as I’m living, My Baby you’ll be.”
Robert Munsch
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world” Anne Frank