Some of my earliest memories involve sitting with my dad in his study every night when he came home from the office, I’d watch as he put his personal items away; his watch, wallet, comb and car keys They would always occupy the same spot on the table every time.

Dad’s comb was jade green. I heard he bought it when he married Mum. Every night, he would smile, hand me the comb and say, “Be a good girl and help Daddy clean it, OK?”

I was more than happy to do it. At age five, this kind of task brought me such joy. I would excitedly turn the tap on, and then brush the comb with a used toothbrush as hard as I could. Satisfied that I’d done a good job, I would proudly return the comb to Dad. He would smile at me, and place the comb on top of his wallet.

About two years later, Dad left his sales job and started his own wholesale business. I started primary school. That was when things started to change. Dad’s business wasn’t doing so well, and our stable life started getting shaky. He didn’t come home as much as he used to. And when he did come home, it was always late and I’d already be in bed. 1 started to get mad. Why didn’t he listen to Mum and just stick to his old job? Why did he take the risk and place the whole family in trouble? Over the years, I stopped waiting for him to come home, and stopped going downstairs to check on him.

Now 28, I’ve graduated from college and got a job. Dad’s business has also started to get back on track. Yet the uncomfortable silence between Dad and me went on.

Two days before my birthday last year, Dad came home early. On that evening, I helped him carry his bags into his study as usual. When I turned to leave, he asked me to clean his comb. I looked at him for a while, then took the comb and headed to the sink.

It was the same comb. After cleaning it, I passed it back to Dad. He looked at it and smiled. But this time, I noticed something different. My dad had aged. He had wrinkles next to his eyes when he smiled, yet his smile was still as heartwarming as before.

It’s the noisiest house

In the whole of our town,

There’s doors always slamming, (bang-bang-bang)

And things falling down.

There’s my dad, who keeps shouting,

And my mum, who breaks things,

The baby (who’ll bite you!)

And our dog running rings.

There’s my sister the screamer (the loudest speaker)

And my brother who roars (吼叫),

And a grandpa who’s stone deaf.

(He’s the one who slams doors).

So come down to our house,

You don’t need the address,

You’ll hear it ten miles away

And the outside’s a mess.

You won’t mind the racket (吵闹),

You’ll just love the din (喧嚣).

For there’s never a dull moment

In the house we live in!

Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? So much of the day was directed by adults. Sometimes kids don’t listen to the instructions. 【小题1】 So how can parents get their kids to be more willing to obey? One strategy widely recommended by children’s health professionals is to engage your child in short, daily sessions of child-led play.

Called “special time”, it increases opportunities for closeness between a parent and child. The concept, developed in the 1970s, is simple. For at least 5 minutes a day, sit down with your child and join them in an activity. Don’t ask questions or give commands. 【小题2】

Research has shown that this kind of playtime can be helpful in treating disruptive (破坏性的) conduct in children. Parent-child interaction therapy, which includes special time, has long been regarded as an “effective intervention for emotional and behavioral difficulties”. And it’s been shown to boost attention time and social skills in children. Besides, you can apply some playful objects during the playtime. 【小题3】 Those include blocks, trucks, train sets, and simple arts and crafts like drawing or coloring with crayons, which can excite imagination.

【小题4】 Each caregiver in the household should take turns doing special time with each child at home. That way, each child has a chance to receive positive attention from the adults in their life. 【小题5】 If you have two kids, don’t put their special time together.

The practice often feels awkward for adults at first. But give it a week or two, and you’ll find that your child won’t want it to end.