The Importance Of A Secure Mother Child Relationship

The security of attachment in infants was investigated by Mary Ainsworth in the 'strange situation' study, in order to determine the nature of attachment behaviours and styles of attachment. In the ‘strange situation’, infants and their mothers were observed in a range of situations, which allowed the researcher to see the different types of behaviours shown.

A healthy or secure attachment develops over time because of a caregiver’s consistent, sensitive care that they have towards a young child. Each time a caregiver interacts in ways that focus fully on the individual child, it furthers connections. When a caregiver attempts to read a baby’s cues and tries to respond to the child’s needs and wishes, the baby learns the caregiver is a source of comfort and security. Children with secure attachments learn that their world is a safe place because the people in it are caring and understanding. They also learn that their ways of communicating result in others responding and understanding them. This reinforces their efforts to continue to express themselves to others. Consistent back-and-forth exchanges that happen over time are one of the ways to build positive relationships. Children with secure attachments feel confident in exploring their environment, which allows them to learn. It’s the accumulation of intimacy during these numerous interactions that turns ordinary tasks into a relationship-based curriculum.

Infant attachment is the first relationship a child experiences and is crucial to the child’s survival (BOOK). A mother’s response to her child will yield either a secure bond or insecurity with the infant. Parents who respond “more sensitively and responsively to the child’s distress” establish a secure bond faster than “parents of insecure children”. (Attachment and Emotion, page 475) The quality of the attachment has “profound implications for the child’s feelings of security and capacity to form trusting relationships” (Book). Simply stated, a positive early attachment will likely yield positive physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development for the child. (BOOK)

To develop into a psychologically healthy human being, a child must have a relationship with an adult who is nurturing, protective, and fosters trust and security.19 Attachment refers to this relationship between 2 people and forms the basis for long-term relationships or bonds with other persons. Attachment is an active process—it can be secure or insecure, maladapative or productive. Attachment to a primary caregiver is essential to the development of emotional security and social conscience.20 Optimal child development occurs when a spectrum of needs are consistently met over an extended period. Successful parenting is based on a healthy, respectful, and long-lasting relationship with the child. This process of parenting, especially in

In this discussion, the primary caregiver will be the mother. Attachment is considered vital for later life in terms of social development. Evidence for this was provided by Waters et al. (1979); children who were securely attached in their infancy years were prone to be more popular and sociable in nursery at the age of 3.5 years. In comparison, Erickson et al. (1985) found that insecurely attached children had more difficulty in being sociable in later life, displaying hostility, withdrawn and lacked social skills. If a child is in non-maternal care, this

The secure attachment bond is the emotional relationship between an infant and primary care giver, defined by emotional responses to the baby 's cues, as communicated through movements, signs, and sounds. The achievement of relationships enable children to feel secure enough to progress fully in their life, and affects how he or she will interact, connect, and form relationships during life. A secure attachment bond teaches babies to trust, to communicate their feelings, and eventually to trust others as well. As babies and their primary care giver connect with one another, the baby learns how to have a healthy sense of self and how to be in a loving relationship. When babies develop a secure attachment bond, develop satisfying intimate relationship, they maintain emotional balance; they feel confident and good about themselves, they enjoy the company of others; recover from disappointment and loss, they also share their feelings and seek support (Segal, 2014).

Attachment is defined as a deep, affectionate, and enduring emotional bond that forms between two people, namely an infant and a caregiver. It is developed during the first years of an infant’s life and has four types depending on the quality of the attachment: secure, ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganised. It has been reported that approximately only 60 to 65 percent of children form secure attachment to their caregivers. Research indicates that the early attachment relationship is an essential foundation for later development. Insecurely attached infants are more likely to grow into aggressive, defiant and hyperactive individuals with lower academic skills compared to securely attached children, they are also more prone to psychiatric disorders and other problems. In contrast, individuals who form a secure attachment in their infancy are more resilient to depression, parental stress, family instability, and poverty compared to those who form an insecure attachment. Given the prevalence and consequences, it is important to educate parents on the impacts that attachment quality can have on a child’s development and later life.

Parents influence the infant’s development; for example, if they are affectionate and reliable the toddlers are going to have a secure attachment. It is essential and healthy for children to have a secure attachment.

The mother is usually the first and primary object of attachment for an infant, but in many cultures, babies become just as attached to their fathers, siblings, and grandparents. When infants are attached to their caregivers, they gain a secure base from which babies can explore their environment and a haven of safety to return to when they are afraid. Attachment begins with physical touching and cuddling between infant and parent. Some babies become secure or insecure attached. Normal, healthy attachment will happen within a wide range of cultural, family, and individual variations in child-rearing customs. Studies of Strange Situation have distinguished secure from insecure attachment. Insecurity can take one of two forms: avoidant and anxious-ambivalent attachment.

In this essay the reader will gain an insight into the importance of services such as The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme in relation to attunement and attachment, the importance of healthy attachment behaviors, how and why ECCE workers must be able to provide a secure base for healthy attachments and what can happen if healthy attachment behaviors are not learned. John Bowlby first introduced his theory of attachment and its central role in child development more than 50 years ago. “The attachment theory focuses on how children develop within relationships, and the impact that this has for later social and emotional development. This in turn impacts on cognitive development, the way in which the child learns and understands

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

An infant with a secure attachment style has a natural bond with their parent, where they are able to trust them, at the same time leaving their side to discover and explore their surroundings. In an insecure/resistant attachment the relationship the child has with their mother or caregiver is very clingy, thus making them very upset once the caregiver is away. When the mother or caregiver is back they are not easily comforted and resist their effort in comforting them. In an insecure/avoidant attachment the infant is, “indifferent and seems to avoid the mother, they are as easily comforted by a stranger, as by their parent” (Siegler 2011, p.429). Lastly, the disorganized/disoriented attachment is another insecure attachment style in which the infant has no way of coping with stress making their behavior confusing or contradictory. Through these brief descriptions of the attachment theory, many researchers have defined the turning point in which each attachment definition can have an influence on one’s self esteem, well-being and their marital relationship.

In order for children to thrive, infants need to experience healthy nurturing relationships with their mother or caregiver. Nevertheless, without a mother infant attachment bond the growth and development of personality would be non-existent to the infant or child. For the explanation if attachment, family factors do play an imperative role for positive development in a mother infant attachment bond. Studies show that an individual who has a healthy relationship with parent s will have a positive or nurturing relationship with their peers (Richters & Walters, 1991). Individuals who are alienated growing up are more prone to the development of eating disorders or self-harm behaviors that had negative experiences growing up in a house hold with conflicts, or the lack of socialization skills (Richters & Walters, 1992).

We now know that during the early years the brain has the greatest capacity for change. Neural plasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt with experience, confirms that early stimulation sets the stage for how children will continue to learn and interact with others throughout life. (5)

The parenting style during my childhood was secure, as I was able to explore, showed interest in others when with my mother and was distressed when she left (Sigelman et al 2015, p.121). Being a single mother, my mothers parenting style was permissive (Sigelman et al 2015, p.129), she was responsive to my needs, and constantly sensitive to my whereabouts. Siegelman et al (Sigelman et al 2015, p.123) describes the possibility of marital difficulties may make it difficult to create an environment in which a child can securely attach to the primary