Watch, Wait, and Wonder (WWW)

Parents and their children who are experiencing relational and developmental difficulties

WWW is aimed at parents and their children who are experiencing relational and developmental difficulties. It was designed for children 0 to 4 years of age, but has been used with older children. The focus of the approach is on strengthening the attachment relationship between caregiver and child, in order to improve the child's self-regulating abilities and sense of efficacy and enhance the caregiver's sensitivity. A unique feature of the approach is the use of infant-led play sessions in which mothers are encouraged to observe their infants and allow them to initiate activities.

Mirek Lojkasek, PhD, C. Psych

• Title: Lecturer
• Agency/Affiliation: Watch, Wait and Wonder Education
• Website: http://watchwaitandwonder.com/
• Email: mlojkasek@sympatico.ca
• Phone: (416) 871-2878

Manual Information

There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.

Training Information

There is training available for this program.

Training Contact

Child Welfare Outcome: Permanency

"What is included in the Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research section?"

• Cohen, N. J., Muir, E., Lojkasek, M., Muir, R., Parker, C. J., Barwick, M. B., & Brown, M. (1999). Watch, Wait, and Wonder: Testing the effectiveness of a new approach to mother-infant psychotherapy. Infant Mental Health Journal, 20(4), 429–451. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1999-15145-005

  Type of Study: Other quasi-experimental

  Participants: 67 infants and their mothers

  Sample / Population:

  • Age — Children: 10–30 months; Adults: Mean=32.2 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — Not specified
  • Gender — Children: 62% Male; Adults: 100% Female
  • Status —

    Participants were mothers and children referred to the mental health center for feeding, sleeping, or behavioral regulation problems.

  Location/Institution: Hincks-Dellcrest Centre for Children's Mental Health, Ontario, Canada.

  Summary:

  The purpose of the study was to test the effects of Watch, Wait, and Wonder (WWW) with clinic infants compared to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (PPT). Participants were randomized to either the WWW intervention or PPT. Measures utilized include the Chatoor Play Scale, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results indicate that the WWW group showed a greater shift toward a more organized or secure attachment relationship and a greater improvement in cognitive development and emotion regulation than infants in the PPT group. Moreover, mothers in the WWW group reported a larger increase in parenting satisfaction and competence and decrease in depression compared to mothers receiving PPT. Both WWW and PPT were successful in reducing infant -presenting problems, decreasing parenting stress, and reducing maternal intrusiveness and mother–infant conflict. Limitations include lack of a non-treatment control group, small sample size, and lack of follow-up.

  Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

• Cohen, N. J., Lojkasek, M., Muir, E., Muir, R., & Parker, C. J. (2002). Six-month follow-up of two mother-infant psychotherapies: Convergence of therapeutic outcomes. Infant Mental Health Journal, 23(4), 361–380. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.10023

  Type of Study: Other quasi-experimental

  Participants: 58

  Sample / Population:

  • Age — Children: Mean=37.3 months; Adults: Mean=32.0 years
  • Race/Ethnicity — Not specified
  • Gender — Children: 63% Male; Adults: 100% Female
  • Status —

    Participants were mothers and children referred to the mental health center for feeding, sleeping, or behavioral regulation problems.

  Location/Institution: Hincks-Dellcrest Centre for Children's Mental Health, Ontario, Canada.

  Summary:

  The study used a subset of the same sample as Cohen et al. (1999). The purpose of the study was to test the effects of Watch, Wait, and Wonder (WWW) with clinic infants compared to Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (PPT). Participants were randomized to either the WWW intervention or PPT. Measures utilized include the Chatoor Play Scale, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results indicate that positive effects observed from the beginning to the end of treatment in both treatment groups in infant symptoms, parenting stress, and mother–infant interaction were maintained or improved further at six-month follow-up. Additionally, decreased maternal depression, gains in infant cognitive development and emotion regulation, and improved infant–mother attachment security or organization had been observed posttreatment only in the WWW group. Between the posttreatment to follow-up period the PPT group also showed such gains. Limitations include the lack of a non-treatment control group, small sample size, and length of follow-up.

  Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 6 months.

• Muir, E., Lojkasek, M., & Cohen, N. J. (1999). Watch, Wait and Wonder: A manual describing a dyadic infant-led approach to problems in infancy and early childhood. Ontario, Canada: Hincks-Dellcrest Institute.