Does Caregiver Affect Infants Improve Emotional Communication?

Bowlby states that affectionate bonding between caregivers and infants is crucial for a health development (1973). Based on the attachment patterns they had at early childhood with primary caregivers, children develop internal working models about self and about others. These internal working models which they form help them interpret and predict experiences in adult relationships.

As human beings, we are fundamentally alone. We come into this world alone and eventually we must die alone, yet, paradoxically, throughout our lives we are inextricably linked to others (O’Donohue & Cucciare, 2010). From birth human infants have a significant period of immaturity and remain dependant on caregivers for a number of years (Dozier & Rutter, 2008). The nature of the early caregiver-infant relationship and the impact this has on later development has been studied over the past century (Bretherton & Munholland, 2008). More specifically, the emotional bond between adult caregiver and child is thought to be vital in laying the foundation on which the child understands themself and the world around them (Speiker, Oxford, Kelly,

From eight to twelve weeks, infants convey this choice by scooting and reaching toward particular caregivers. Next, from twelve weeks to two years old, is the third stage, which Sheperis et al. call the “true process of attachment.” During this stage, toddlers begin to anticipate the actions of their caregivers and adjust their behavior accordingly. For example, children may hold their hands up after noticing that their caregiver picks them up whenever they do so. Consistency of caregivers and caregiver actions is crucial to the continuation and success of this stage of attachment. If the child’s primary caregivers are frequently changed, the third stage of attachment must restart. This not only delays the completion of the attachment process, but it hinders the child’s behavioral anticipation and adjustment skills.

When exploring a mother and infants relationship closely it is evident that there are many layers to their relationship from attachment to parental sensitivity. Through the form of observations, information has been gathered to look in-depth at the mother-infant relationship. There are many layers in a mother-infant relationship and this essay will explore five concepts: emotional availability, internal working model, infant’s attachment, circle of security and developmental milestones. In light of this it’s important to look at the background of the family dynamic including the mother, father and infant as well as close family members including grandparents. The infant in which the observations are based on is currently 8 and half months old. The mother currently is studying full time and is also a mother to 3 older children ranging from 25 to 16. They reside in a small local town in the Wimmera region and the mother has been in the same town for 20 years and the father visits on a regular basis. Both the mother parents live only thirty kilometres away and the father has one living parent his mother who lives over 50 kilometres away. Both mother and father are in the late thirties early forties range and the father works full time as a painter.

This attachment is important to a child’s later development, but some factors tend to get in the way of this goal. When parents are dependable and caring, babies learn to trust them and know they can rely on them for comfort. Infants develop a set of expectations about parent’s availability and responsiveness, overall and during stressful times. This is called an internal working model. If a parent is not dependable and caring the child will not trust them, which may lead into an insecure attachment. Caregiving sensitivity could also lead to an insecure attachment. Not all caregivers will react to babies in a reliable and reassuring manner. They may leave the infant crying over a long period of time, or even respond as if they are annoyed. These babies will see social relationships as inconsistent, and will not gain trust or confidence in the caregiver. The last factor is temperament. A baby who fusses often or is difficult to console may form an insecure attachment. Temperament can form when the infant’s mother has a rigid personality, instead of accepting and flexible personality. Rigid mothers feel that the infants need to adjust to them, where as flexible mothers know that they need to adjust to the infant’s

Bowlby (1962/1969) asserts that the infant relationship with the parent or care giver begins as a set of innate signals that call the adult to the baby’s side. With time, a true affectionate bond develops, supported by new emotional and cognitive capacities as well as by a history of warm, sensitive care (Berk 2009).

This theory explains that children have an attachment to the children’s main carer- we see this regularly at nursery and have to support

Infants tend to develop an intense bond with their caregiver. They prefer to be around their caregiver and will become distress when separated. If the relationship between the caregiver and the infant is strong and healthy, infant tend to have a better personality as they grow older. The theories of Mary Ainsworth and Erik Erickson proves that the caregiver plays a significant role in shaping an infant’s life.

As children, we are naturally inclined to attach ourselves to a primary caregiver. A primary attachment figure is the person who is sought out when the child experiences a threat or distress in the environment, such as, hunger, pain, an unfamiliar person, or an unfamiliar setting (Arnett, Chapter 5). It is important for children to have a primary attachment figure because it promotes survival and it’s a way for children to learn about the world around them. The mother is usually the primary attachment figure for infants and they come to associate the mother with an experience of pleasure and relief of distress. Forming an emotional and physical attachment with someone when we are younger gives us a sense of stability and security which is needed

Question: Babies only a few months old can be extremely responsive to the reactions or emotions of their mothers. How the mother of a baby reacts to certain situations and how she raises or cares for her child plays an important role in the development of the new life. In chapter 8, Social and Personality Development in Childhood, has shown many studies about how a mother impacts or influences her baby’s outlook on life as they grow older. Virtually all infants will develop an attachment to the person that tends to them—parent, relative, caregiver. There are three different attachment styles, secure, insecure and disorganized. In a secure attachment, the mother is sensitive and responsive. Insecure attachments, which is neglectful and resistant,

Bowlby (1969), who first applied this idea to the infant-caregiver bond, was inspired by Lorenz 's (1952) studies of imprinting in baby geese. He believed that the human baby, like the young of most animal species, is equipped with a set of built-in behaviors that helps keep the parent nearby, increasing the chances that the infant will be protected from danger. Contact with the parent also ensures that the baby will be fed, but Bowly was careful to point out that feeding is not the basis of attachment. According to Bowlby, the infant 's relationship to the parent begins as a set of innate signals that call the adult to the baby 's side. As time passes, a true affectionate bond develops, which is supported by new cognitive and emotional capacities as well as a history of consistent, sensitive, responsive care by the parent. Out of this experience, children form an enduring affectional bond with their caregivers that enables them to use this attachment figure as a secure base across time and distance. The inner representation of this parent-child bond becomes an important part

In an effort to examine interactions and relationships between Toddlers and their caregiver (Mrs. Gail) in center care, I was able to observe four toddlers Mateo; aged 18 months, Ella; aged 16 months, Leo; aged 16 months and Sofia; aged 17 months. The Caregiver, Mrs. Gail interviewed and three interactions of Caregiving observed. The first interaction was during drop-off time. Ella; aged 16 months is an example of a child who does not receive a consistent care, since she comes only two days a week. However, Gail was able to help Ella cope with her fears by offering warm feelings and attention trying to remember her with the good time they had together before. The second interaction was during the free Playtime; where Gail was able to offer

“Within the nest of earliest caretaking, the baby’s experiences create her first senses of what this new world is like” (Lally, 2006, p. 72) in which case every infant is different in their needs and wants, therefore it is important

Over the course of the semester we have covered a variety of interesting topics involving the psychology development of children. An area that was particularly intriguing to me was the prenatal development and birth. As a nursing major with an interest in neonatal intensive care the subject of preterm babies was an area I wanted to explore more. Preterm babies are slower to initiate social interactions and as a result form less secure emotional ties. They can be fussier and are at greater risk for developmental delays and child abuse. Research has shown that interventions that foster positive emotional attachments improve caregiving but also increases the babies neurological and cognitive development. We will look at the effects of

“As infants grows older, they form close and enduring emotional attachments with the important people in their lives”. Reference 1. This essay will discuss the developmental period of infancy. Infancy is categorised as the development stage of a human from birth to 2 years of age. Infancy is a time in the human life that involves rapid growth and extraordinary changes in the first two years of life. Infants not only grow dramatically physically, their brains develop, and there is the start of locomotor skill development as well as the start of reflexes and sensory growth. The essay will also discuss anxiety and the role it plays with infants in regards to physical, cognitive and psychosocial stages an infant experiences. This essay will argue that the attachment of an infant to its mother is highly important. It will discuss the different way in which attachment affects an infant. This essay will discuss typical development milsetones in the first year years of human life. It will then go to analysis the relationship between infants being in day care or at home with their mother. T The typical physical development of a babys starts at borth. When a Baby is born on average it will weigh 3.4 kilograms and measure to be around 51 centimeters. A baby is typically 25 percent of its final adult weight when it is born but by its