The ATTRAC.T Model
Some parents find that their inability to engage in meaningful conversations with their kids has made them more detached from their children.
Sadly, they discover this much too late and, for many apparent reasons, find it challenging to maintain a relationship with their adolescent or adult child. A parent's greatest wish for a meaningful relationship with their child is to communicate with them. Where their interaction is unproductive, avoidance will eventually result from conversations that incite resentment, persistent threats, or arguments.
We observe an increase in upset parents and disgruntled teenagers who struggle to coexist with their parents due to their poor communication skills and inability to put forth the effort necessary to comprehend the various stages of their growth. In light of this, some kids would rather be homeless than grow up in what they perceive to be an unpleasant household. While parents feel isolated and undervalued as a result of this cascading effect.
A youngster can feel understood, disputes can be handled, and self-expression is encouraged through meaningful talks. In order to preserve good connections, parents must be particularly interested in understanding their child and master the art of constructive conversations.
The ATTRAC.T Model is, in my opinion is an excellent instrument for fostering connections with children of diverse ages.
I have started using the ATTRAC.T cards in my practice, it is a powerful tool for therapists and counsellors and I recommend it to my clients, particularly those that want to develop meaningful relationships with their children.
When a child is struggling with issues like exams, anxiety, body shaming, feeling judged, peer pressure, bullying, and a host of other things that can affect their nervous system, parents suffer side by side with them. Parental concerns also extend to factors that could cause a dysregulation of the nervous system, like inactivity, sleeplessness, sugary foods and drinks, alienation, and disorderly, chaotic environments.
Memory is a fundamental aspect of human cognition that is shaped by psychological, physiological, and social factors. It allows us to modify our thoughts and actions in the moment. So through fostering a close relationship based on trust, effective communication, and positive role modelling, parents can provide their children with nurturing and aid in the restoration of their neurological systems. They can make conscious effort to engage fully with the child by paying attention and listening to gain information and perspective, thereby able to offer guidance, develop relationship and interact deeper with their child. They can learn about and comprehend circumstances, cultural influences, and social roles of a child's experiences through active listening.
Where a parent struggle to talk about personal issues because they feel it might be evasive, ATTRAC.T cards does the job, using insightful questions to bring out in-depth thoughts to the surface.
Quality questions empower and help us see the way we interpret and evaluate our experiences and can shape how we think and behave. So the use of high quality questions to open meaningful and sometimes delicate conversations makes ATTRAC.T MODEL unique, thereby parents can deepen bond and create ways to influence positive outcomes with their child.