Being open to the complex process of contingent communication requires a willingness to become a part of something much greater than a self that is defined by the body’s physical boundaries. Such intimate collaboration may be difficult when parents did not experience a sense of connection in their own childhoods. It is a challenge to remain open to the basic processes of perceiving, making sense of, and responding to the communication sent by our children. A child’s experience of inappropriate, noncontingent communication can create emotional distress and limit her openness to making further
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