August 7, 2023

97th Edition

Hello Karen,

The end of the summer is coming up very quickly and the new school year is looming ahead (and already here, for some families!).

With your children home all day during the last of the holidays it can be difficult to keep everyone busy and on track and have the energy to play and connect with each one. During the school year it can also be difficult to plan and fit in connection activities during the busy days.

For both of these situations the Bruce Perry 6R activities are a great solution!

Take some time to plan your activities for the week to help keep yourself on track and be more prepared and empowered as a parent. Try out different activities and find what you and your family enjoy the most!

Enjoy the last bit of summer!

What are the 6Rs?

• Rhythmic
• Repetitive
• Respectful
• Relational
• Relevant
• Rewarding

This means using activities that have a steady pace or beat, are respectful to the people involved and the setting you're in, are done with a parent and child to build the relationship, are relevant to the interests and ages of participants (parents, too!), and are fun and rewarding for everyone involved (again - parents, too!).

It's important to note that parents must also find the activities rewarding and relevant. If you as a parent are not having fun with your child during the activity, your child will pick up on this and the activity will lose much its benefits. Have fun with your kiddos and choose activities that are fun for both of you!

How to use the 6Rs

Parents MUST lead and be in charge of all aspect of the activity. This helps to not only promote attachment, but also helps your child to see you as a strong, loving leader who can keep them safe, even when having fun.

Activities should last for about 7 minutes. This is enough time to get into the activity and work on brain development and connection, and to keep your child's attention and interest.

The official Bruce Perry activity program is to do 7 minute activities 5 -6 times each day. I know this is a lot - don't worry! While there are many benefits to doing these activities this many times per day, I know that for the majority of families this is not doable in daily life. Doing 1 or 2 activities each day has many benefits as well, and is a huge boost for parent-child bonding. Do as many as you can, but not so many you burn yourself out or feel resentment toward your child or therapeutic parenting.

Remember that the 6R activities are used to promote bonding and attachment with parents; they should always be done with a parent involved, and not between siblings or with other adults (family members, respite providers, baby sitters, etc.).

6R Activities

Try your favourite ones!

• Follow the Leader
• Action songs
• Funny face contest (facing each other)
• Trampoline
• Ping Pong (great for teens)
• Badminton (great for teens)
• Dancing
• The Cup Song (video tutorial below)

• Drumming
• Blowing Bubbles
• Jump Rope (single or double)
• Catch (try listing favourite items, letters of the alphabet, or countries each time you catch the ball)
• Frisbee
• Boomwhackers
• Hand Clap Games (video tutorials below)

• Cat's Cradle (video tutorial below)

Activities with more than one child

These activities are great for one-on-one time between parent and child, but can also be used with the whole family together. It is important to remember that even with the whole family joining in on the activity, your child with Reactive Attachment Disorder should be focused on direct interactions with a parent, rather than with a sibling.

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