The Confusion of Tongues Between Adults and Children Essays

When a person becomes a parent, their role in life undoubtedly changes. The person must become a teacher, a guide, and a helping hand in the life of the child. Research has shown that there is a distinct connection between how a child is raised and their overall developmental outcome. John Bowlby’s attachment theory emphasizes the importance of the regular and sustained contact between the parent-infant or parent-child relationship (Travis & Waul 2003). Yet, what happens when the only physical contact a child can share with their parent is a hand pressed on the shield of glass that separates the two? What happens when the last memory of their mother or father was from the corner of their own living room as they watched their parent

In this writing it will be discussing childhood development, as well as some vital issues that might come along during those stages of development. Child development consist of the stage where the child is developing physically, cognitively, socially and spiritually. During these stages of development a child is maturing from infancy to becoming a young adult. For many years theorist such as Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson, and Lev Vygotsky’s have researched how children mature from infants to adulthood. Each of the theorist have profound facts to how children develop, but which of the three men are correct on their findings?

According to Winnicott, there are three stages in infant development. In stage one, undifferentiated unity, the child must feel connected to the mother. The mother fulfils this need through feeding, bathing and holding the child. In doing so, the child feels all powerful, and incomplete control of the mother. Their every need is met, and they want for nothing. However, Winnicott warns that if a mother fails to respond adequately to the child’s needs, this will hinder the development of healthy future relationships, including the relationship with one self.

Insight to the ease in which Jack could be settled was illuminated through observation of Alice’s focused positive attention to Jack prior to his ‘needing’ it—not due to over-attentiveness but rather as within a natural rhythm of activity that Jack and Alice are sublimely attuned to; Alice is genuinely interested and engaged in Jack’s activities and continuously feeds his need for attention with understated but meaningful interactions that include eye contact and her demonstration that she understands what he is seeing or doing, without his explicit request or demand. This reduced the need for more dramatic expression of need by Jack and seemed to facilitate a ‘low-maintenance’ level of engagement by Alice—she and I had a long-conversation of good depth without any major interruption from baby. Even during this period of strong natural preference for caregiver and wariness of strangers (p. 31), because of a notably secure attachment to Alice, Jack was able to adapt to a new person (myself) with considerable ease and self-confidence for this stage of life, when the child is grappling with the understanding of his mother as a separate entity from himself (Kail & Zolner 2012, p. 185). All three factors in the development of attachment –arousal-relaxation cycle, positive interaction cycle and claiming (Fahlberg 2012, p. 54)—were

If the mother is not available for that special attachment then the infant could attach to a mother-substitute, this attachment relationship is the prototype for all future relationships. Forming this special attachment is believed to build up an internal working model or to help them template for their future relationships. The internal working model can be changed as the infant develops new types of relationships to others, contact and attachments with a variety of people can lead to a fully developed internal working model. The internal working model is the vital part of forming

Bowlby’s attachment theory, as well as Erikson’s psychosocial theory, indicates that a child’s overall development is dependent on the care that they receive from their caregiver, more specifically their mother. Meeting the needs of the child and providing a

B. has the hope and all other aspects (family, love, nutrition, etc.) that contribute to healthy happy child. Her parents are both in her life and are aware of the seriousness of raising her. If D.B. failed to complete stage one, not only would she develop mistrust and see the world as unfriendly but she would have a diffused style of identity if she “experienced rejection and detachment the parents” (Marcia, 1980). The infant I observed supported Erikson’s theory. It amazed me how the research for these theories were done a long time ago but still can be relied on. This infant is in the first stage of development and later may support other theories that apply to that stage true

The last stage is detachment. If the mother stays away long enough, the infant will start to engage with the individual’s around it. They may reject their mother’s comfort or presence once she returns or may show signs of anger towards the mother (McLeod,

Erikson’s first stage of development is that of infancy which focuses on the child’s first 18 months of life. During this time a child is supposed to develop optimism, trust, confidence, and security. These key elements are developed through the love and care of a parent or primary care giver. If these elements are not nurtured then a child is more likely to develop mistrust, insecurities, and the feeling of worthlessness (Erikson 1968). During this stage of my own life, I can say that I received a great deal of love and nurturing from both of my parents. Of course I do not remember this stage in my life, but I have often heard stories about my early years. I was told that

The concept of infant-mother attachment is as important to the child as the birth itself. The effect this relationship has on a child shall affect that child for its entire life. A secure attachment to the mother or a primary caregiver is imperative for a child’s development. Ainsworth’s study shows that a mother is responsive to her infant’s behavioral cues which will develop into a strong infant-mother attachment. This will result in a child who can easily, without stress, be separated from his mother and without any anxiety. Of course the study shows a child with a weak infant-mother relationship will lead to mistrust, anxiety, and will never really be that close with the mother. Without the

This paper will explore the phenomenon of enmeshment between a mother and her child. It will begin by first providing a working definition for the concept of enmeshment, then go into more detail about how and why this manifests within the mother and child dynamic. Next it will discuss maternal enmeshment’s impact on the child’s development during childhood using the theories of Erik Erikson and John Bowlby as a framework of understanding. It will conclude by providing a brief overview of some ways enmeshment can adversely influence the child across the lifespan.

There are a number of influences that contribute to the formation of attachments and the differences among individuals. One influence on attachment is the amount of time a caregiver spends with an infant. The amount of time can be affected by the age, health, and social status of the mother. For example, a younger, teenage mother, may return to school in order to complete their education. Returning to school can preoccupy a mother and create a disconnect when an infant’s distress and behaviors are not attended to or ignored. Another example of how the amount of time spent with an infant can be affected is a single-mother or a mother who returns to work within the sensitive time of an infant’s development. Similar to the younger mother example,

Good mothering enables initial emotional development. Transitional objects enable the continuation of the emotional development by being the first instance of the initiation of a relationship between the toddler and the world (Wincott, 1953).

Developmental Psychology has widened my perspective and knowledge of the nature of development from humans’ infancy to adolescence and emerging adulthood. Although I have learned about biological, cognitive, and socioemotional processes and periods of development, I am especially interested in socioemotional development in infancy because it is the foundation for a child’s future development. That is to say, if children have a healthy socioemotional development from infancy, they will have a healthy life later on. By understanding the developmental process in infancy, I will be fully prepared when I have children or when my family’s members do.

In the first few months of life, the sole purpose of any child’s behaviour is to survive. This, more often than not, results in actions that reduce the risk of harm and increase the chances of longevity. Of these behaviours, some argue that the most influential is attachment behaviour. “Attachment behaviour is any form of behaviour that results in a person attaining or maintaining proximity to some other clearly identified individual who is conceived as better able to cope with the world”(Bowlby, 1982). Therefore, children will make an effort to stay close to and under the protection of their primary caregiver. According to Webster, “through interactions with their primary caregiver, the child develops expectations and understandings about the workings of relationships. These mental representations of relationships become internalized to the degree that they influence feelings, thought and behaviour automatically and unconsciously” (1999, p.6). Moreover, the response of the identified individual plays a huge role in the child’s perception of the outside world. If the caregiver responds to the child’s needs in a caring and protective manner, the child will feel safe and comfortable in his or her surroundings. If, on the other hand, the caregiver is often emotionally and/or physically unavailable, the child is likely to