The Scopes Of Psychological Health

A significant element in a child’s life is a relationship with their parent and central to this is the aspect of infant-mother bond (Cook, 1999). Parents play a critical role in modeling the adult lives of their children. A research on early brain development revealed that early intervention of warm and receptive care given to children is critical for their growth. It is vital to encourage and offer optimum care for the young children. The way a child is nurtured is a factor in their early brain development. Positive nurturing care and love towards children in their infanthood up to around 6 years results in a positive brain growth (Tribble, 2012). With both parents working, adverse effects on child development may be experienced. Children

Early childhood is the most important phase of development in one’s lifespan as the experiences during childhood sets the course for later stages of development. It has been noted that a mother’s actions during pregnancy may influence the development of an infant. The developmental influences include prenatal, perinatal and neonatal environments. (Santrock, 2002) Although babies come into the world with no say or control over which family they will be placed into, or the environment in which they will begin to live in, theorists agree that the first two years are crucial, with early emotional, physical and social development influenced by the infant’s biological and environmental factors (Sigelman, Rider, & De-George Walker, 2013). The

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.

With confidence and new-found strength, it led past fears to be temporarily relinquished. Like many who are in a constant push and pull of emotions, he discovered the strength of his being in an unrelenting world. He wanted to feel he was worthy and able to contend with the unforgiving world with her love. A mother’s love provides sanctity in the soul of a child and encourages self growth, allowing a child to become independent and to feel content with their place in the world. A child who grows into a confident adult is capable of coping with obstacles in life. Without this important trait, a child is forced to face the world uncertain of what the future holds and lacking the attachment every child deserves.

Bowlby emphasised the significance of the mother-child bond, particularly in the first 3 years of a child’s life. If this relationship was unsatisfactory or if separation occurred during this crucial period, Bowlby asserted that serious psychological problems could ensure. This theory is called – attachment theory- and one does not have to fully support the psychoanalytical tradition to hold the view that, their things being equal, children appear to benefit in there is continuity in upbringing, especially during the early years. (Berridge, D., Cleaver, 1987, p

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

When babies and young children feel valued, secure and trust the people around them, they are more likely to thrive and achieve their developmental goals. Certain areas of development are linked to the strength of attachment that children have with those around them, especially emotional and language development. We also know that children learn from those they have a strong bond with and so cognitive development can also be linked to strong relationships. This is of course equally true with their primary carer, for example their parents, as well as with their key person in their setting.

In the mid 1900s, Harry Harlow took investigated a new field of research and began studying the components between infant-mother love, especially the importance of contact comfort. Harlow was interested in manipulating the mother figure of infants to identify the root of bonds and love; but since this could easily become unethical to study with humans, he used rhesus monkeys. Based on Freud’s hypothesis, one would think that the importance of receiving milk would be the primary root of a bond between the infant and the mother, but Harlow found that contact comfort was incredibly important, even more so than receiving food (Hock, 2013).

The human need to have our mother near is the theory that is expressed in chapter one. Chapter one goes through a time line of how we, as humans, came across this theory. The author tends to talk about and describe how as babies the basic need to have mother around is just as important as having food, water, and clean diapers. The author gives examples of children who were adopted after infancy and children whom had to spend significant amounts of time away from their mothers during their infant years had suffered from infections and "hospitalism", and also severe depression and lonliness. Researchers such as Levy, Bender, Bakwin, Goldfarb, and Spitz had all published papers but very few in the

His study involved several young children who had not had maternal care as infants and seemed unable to connect emotionally with their adoptive parents. He remarked that these children appeared to be suffering from “primary affect hunger,” which Levy defined as not only a hunger for affection, but for all the emotions that come with interacting with a mother every day. He asked the question “Is it possible that there results a deficiency disease of the emotional life, comparable to a deficiency of vital nutritional elements within the developing organism?” (Karen, 1998, 17).

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

By responding with care and comfort, this enables for an “attachment bond” to form between the infant and caregiver, most commonly the mother (White et al., 2013). Following on from Bowlby’s theory, Mary Ainsworth investigated the theory of attachment through observing the reactions of infants when their mothers left them alone with strangers. The investigation was named as the “Ainsworth’s strange situation assessment” (White et al., 2013). It was discovered through this investigation that infants who had secure attachments with their mothers were upset when separated and were easily soothed when the mother returns. This investigation implies that infants with secure attachment to their mothers show signs of normal social development.

Because of the love and affection they receive, they learn to rely on the caregiver (mother) and to trust her. As they grow they learn by watching and imitating her, as well as by getting instructions and guidance from her. When they manage to do something, their learning is reinforced by her praise and approval. This is a normal scenario. This is the ideal environment for a child to develop his potential to the maximum. Moreover, studies have shown that infants who are abandoned and separated from their mothers become unhappy and depressed, sometimes to the point of panic. After long periods of separation and isolation, they show symptoms of apathy and withdrawal or restlessness, hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, and craving for affection.”

Experimental data suggest that the past experiences of the mother are a major determinant in molding her care-giving role. Children use adults, especially loved and powerful adults, as models for their own behaviour. Children development literature, states that the powerful process of imitation or modelling socially inclines children. Kennell and Klaus explain that unless adults consciously and painstakingly reexamine these learned behaviours, they will unconsciously repeat them when they become parents (Kennell and Klaus 11). Thus the way a woman was raised, which includes the practices of her culture and the individual idiosyncrasies of her own mother's child raising practices greatly influences her behaviour toward her own infant. Bob Brazelton in The Early Mother-Infant Adjustment says that, "It may seem to many that attachment to a small baby will come naturally and to make too much of it could be a mistake... but there are many, many women who have a difficult time making this adjustment...(Brazelton 10). He points out that we must understand the ingredients of attachment in order to help, because each mother-child dyad is unique and has individual needs of it's own (Brazelton 12).

“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