Observing

I'm gaining more and more respect for how much of an art observing children is!  I was recently listening to a lecture course by Ray Girn that pointed out how detailed the observations of a teacher need to be to properly understand a student and then, I came across this post by a parenting educator whom I particularly admire, Connie Allen.

I am contemplating her third suggestion in this post:

"Set aside time every day to observe, to stand back and see what you can see with the intention to discover something new...By making neutral observation a daily priority, you’ll be thrilled with what you discover about yourself and the children in your life."

Would this be a good idea?  I have so often found stepping back and observing has given me profound insight into my kiddo when I'm having a challenge.   I thought about this for twenty minutes though and couldn't figure out a good time to give it a trial.  Our breakfasts are our family meal where we share good things from the day before and what we're looking forward to in the upcoming day.  In the afternoons, most often, my kiddo is either playing by himself or I'm reading to him (neither good times for a studious observation). I don't think I have a daily time when I can observe from a distance, but I think I'll be able to slide in a few times during the week and I'll check back with results :)

If anyone else gives this a trial, I'd be curious if you find it helpful!  Is regular observing outside of interaction times and outside of school / challenge evaluation a useful endeavor?