What is Attachment?
We are all born with attachment seeking behaviours such as crying, clinging, imitation and smiling. These behaviours are designed to keep carers close ensuring that the baby’s needs for survival, safety and sensitive care are met.
Attachment is a process. When a baby needs something – food, comfort, play – he feels stressed and signals his discomfort through, for example, crying, seeking to have his needs met. Parents/carers ‘tune in’ (attune) to their baby’s unique cries and signals for different needs. This ongoing attachment process, in the first few years of life, is crucial in shaping how we grow and develop through childhood and into adulthood – neurologically, physically, emotionally, socially and psychologically. What happens to us in the womb also contributes to our resilience or vulnerability.
Research informs us that a child’s first attachments are vitally important – he or she needs to feel loved and special. Children whose needs have been met in a sensitive, loving and timely way by their primary carer – described as secure attachment – have a sense of trust and confidence in themselves. Securely attached children do better at school and are likely to be good at making friends. Their early attachments help them to form close relationships later in life. They grow up knowing that when they need something someone will help them.
There can be barriers to secure attachment - within the child, within the parent, within the environment. Children whose early experiences of attachment have been less optimal can have insecure or disorganised attachments. These children will potentially be more vulnerable with respect to coping with future relationships and life events.
'Attachment definition from the common core and Mapping Exercise '
Attachment is a process. When a baby needs something – food, comfort, play – he feels stressed and signals his discomfort through, for example, crying, seeking to have his needs met. Parents/carers ‘tune in’ (attune) to their baby’s unique cries and signals for different needs. This ongoing attachment process, in the first few years of life, is crucial in shaping how we grow and develop through childhood and into adulthood – neurologically, physically, emotionally, socially and psychologically. What happens to us in the womb also contributes to our resilience or vulnerability.
Research informs us that a child’s first attachments are vitally important – he or she needs to feel loved and special. Children whose needs have been met in a sensitive, loving and timely way by their primary carer – described as secure attachment – have a sense of trust and confidence in themselves. Securely attached children do better at school and are likely to be good at making friends. Their early attachments help them to form close relationships later in life. They grow up knowing that when they need something someone will help them.
There can be barriers to secure attachment - within the child, within the parent, within the environment. Children whose early experiences of attachment have been less optimal can have insecure or disorganised attachments. These children will potentially be more vulnerable with respect to coping with future relationships and life events.
'Attachment definition from the common core and Mapping Exercise '
What else impacts early childhood? ACEs
Further information on the research findings on the long-term impact on children ACEs - adverse childhood experiences.
ACEs from KPJR FILMS LLC on Vimeo.
CLICK HERE to read more about The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study
