The purpose of this review is to describe some way’s parents, and caregivers can foster healthy emotional relationships with infants and toddlers within the first two years of life through the concept of Attachment Theory. Describe different strategies that can be used to meet the goal of a healthy bond with your child and ways that can lead to unhealthy emotional attachments. Attachment Theory is “a psychological model attempting to describe the dynamics of long-term and short-term interpersonal relationships between humans.” (Wikipedia)
What can parents do to foster healthy emotional development in the first two years?
In the first two years of an infant and toddler’s developmental stage, a parent should strive to provide the necessary activities to the best of their abilities that will encourage a healthy attachment with their child through positive reinforcement and consistent care throughout this timeframe. A parent should also pay close attention to their infant or toddler and respond positively to help foster a close healthy relationship between them both by being consistent with their care and needs.
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One such method are by fostering or encouraging the infant or toddler to connect with their caregiver by forming a close bond positively through interactions that are enjoyable to both the parents and the child. This can occur through playing with the child, making the child feel safe and secure through this sensitive period. In his studies of emotional attachment (John Bowlby) developed the ‘Attachment Theory’ and stated that this bond will last a lifetime and have a lasting effect on a child into their adulthood.
“The affectional bond or tie that an infant form with the mother or caregiver (Bowlby, 1969), an infant must form this bond with a primary caregiver in order to have normal social and emotional development.’ (Bowlby, 1982).”
What strategies can caregivers used to ensure these infants and toddlers attain a securely attached relationship?
According to Dr. Daniel Siegel Co-author of Parenting from the Inside Out, he often refers to the four S’s of attachment in which a child feels safe, soothed, seen and secure. He states that children with a secure attachment see their parents or caregivers as a secure foundation and it is this foundation the child while us to explore their surroundings feeling safe. There are several strategies that a caregiver can use for toddlers and infants to gain a secure attached relationship with them.
In an article written by (Victoria Costello, 2018b) she suggests 5 ways that parents or caregivers can use to become familiar with their child’s needs such as paying attention to the child’s eating, feeding, and sleeping habits and building a schedule around them that will help to foster a secure attachment or bond with the parent or caregiver. (Victoria Costello, 2018b) Another way she suggests is to also respond to the infant’s distress though comfort. Smiling at the child and simulating laughter are great was to provide a comforting feeling and strengthen attachment.
Additionally, identify practices that contribute to insecurely attached relationships. Use peer-reviewed articles to write your journal. According to (Lisa Firestone, Ph.D., n.d.) Anxious/Preoccupied Attachment, Avoidant/ Dismissive Attachment, and Disorganized Attachment should be avoided if possible because these types of attachments are the bases for insecure attachment relationships and should be corrected by the parent or caregiver in order to foster a healthier attachment between the two.
The concept that I will touch base on a little is Anxious Preoccupied Attachments. “Children may experience an anxious or preoccupied attachment style when they have a parent who is sometimes there for them but sometimes isn’t.” (Lisa Firestone, Ph.D., n.d.)
Parents that foster this type of attachment with their child are causing more harm to the child psyche by creating this type of emotional roller coaster with rewards and then with unavailability and may be using their own child to meet some need of their own instead of meeting the need of the child. A parent fostering this can correct this by being there for the child needs at all times possible whether the situation is good or bad, rewarding or not.
In conclusion our parenting style will have a long-lasting effect on our children, so how they are raised will help to shape their individual personalities, relationships, and feelings of trust and security when growing up.
