Theories Of Childhood Development

The benefits from listening to all the advice that has been given to you can be a great advantage. When my grandma tells me, stories about when she was growing up, many of the responses were the different parenting techniques that you can use. You can learn many tricks that can help you to soothe your baby to sleep. A few common examples that are always talked about was the cry it out method, grandma always says, “I feed you cow’s milk when you were an infant and you survived.” or “I put cereal in your bottle at 3 months and your fine aren’t you?” Feeding and cow’s milk before they turn one can cause stomach issues and can be become fussy eaters, as they get older. “Up to 20% of infants and toddlers in the UK are reported to be ‘problem’ eaters by their parents (6) with some studies reporting up to 50% are fussy eaters (7).” (Maslin, K).

As quoted by the psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott, “It is a joy to be hidden, and disaster not to be found.” Hide-and-seek games involve temporary separations and reunions, and are thus games of relationships (Israelievitch, 2008).

Attachment allows the children to have a secure base which is essential to explore, learn and uses the primary caregiver as a source of comfort (Benoit 2004).The way different children behave enables the parents to response in many different ways which are influenced by their attachment pattern (Rees 2007). Bowlby believed that an infant attachment behaviours are natural and will be activated by any condition which may threaten their proximity such as separation. The attachment relationship between the child and the caregiver prepares them for future relationships (Gantt et al 1995). Bowlby (1990) developed the attachment theory as a way of understanding how specific infants bond to others, he noticed infants engaging in certain behaviours such as smiling which led to a close and secure bond and relationship with their caregiver which portrayed a secure attachment towards their mother.

Bowlby believed that infants are a product of evolutionary processes pre-coded with a survival instinct to form an attachment with an individual to provide it with comfort, guidance, safety and security (Bowlby 1958, cited in Lishman 2007) Generally attachments were formed with responsive persons who interacted and played with the child a lot, simple caregiving such as nappy changing was itself not an important factor. This strong attachment to the primary caregiver provides a strong base for exploration and reissuance when the child felt insecure (fox, 1977 pg 109). Bowlby believed that there are four main features of attachment. These are safe haven, he believed that the primary care giver would make the child feel safe, secure base, here

Attachment is a strong enduring reciprocal bond an infant shares with a significant individual, usually the mother, who knows and responds well to the needs of the infant. (Gillibrand et al. 2011 p. 242) The evolutionary theory of attachment according to Bowlby is based on the idea that children have an innate programming to form attachments but they must be made during a critical period or it would not be possible after this period. The continuity hypothesis of the evolutionary theory suggests that relationships with the primary care giver (monotropy) provides an internal working model, which the child will acquire and base future relationships on similarly to the one the monotropy displayed to the child. (Add citation) Despite the theory

One of the well-known psychologists in the whole world, John Bowlby has researched and concluded how important it is for every human being to create social attachment. Important Bowlby’s theory is the theory about attachments that says how every child that is born has an urge to create attachments, because these attachments are necessary for our surviving skills. He said that if a baby that is six months old is separated from his mother, he will suffer as a grown-up person in a way where his responses to situations where he has to separate from his company, will result in a destructive behavior. Bowlby emphasized how important mother-figure is in an infant’s life by stating that without that first connection, it will be hard for that person

Securely attached children have the capacity to be connected with their and others emotions and can talk about it easily. They are aware of the main elements of positive relationship building and are capable of building relationships with certain expectations. They have better coping mechanisms and have healthier way of relieving their pain and trauma.

Children are completely reliant on the adults in their early lives. Whether it is their biological parents, foster parents, or other family members, children need to be able to build upon healthy relationships in order to achieve normal development (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2004). In John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth’s “strange theory” there are four different kinds of attachment between the parent and child: secure attachment, anxious-ambivalent attachment, anxious-avoidant attachment, and disorganized attachment (Fraley, 2010). Not having a secure attachment in infancy can cause a multitude of problems. There are many aspects in a child’s life that can have an effect on whether or not the child is able to develop healthy relationships with adults

According to Davies Attachment Theory, there are four types of attachment relationships between an infant and the caregiver(s) (229-232). After talking to my parents about how I reacted when they left a room when I was in an environment or around family members I was not familiar with, I demonstrated a secure attachment with my parents and my dad’s parents. Family members would say I was spoiled because I would cry and want either of my parents when they left the room. However, according to Ainsworth Strange Situation Experiment, that is a common characteristic of an infant and caregiver(s) secure attachment relationship. Due to this secure attachment relationship I had with my parents, I left safe in my environment. I trusted my parents and

This essay looks at whether attachment plays a role in close relationships by explaining what attachment is, looking at research, and considering alternative approaches.

In Development During Middle Childhood, Andrew Collins looks at many different perspectives of middle childhood. The perspective I was most interested in was the “Sibling Caretaking” portion. (345). Most children, age six to twelve, have been found to be the primary caretaker of there younger siblings or younger children amongst their cultural group. Sibling caretaking is also referred to as “shared functioning”. The term is described as flexible and universal childcare. Sibling caretaking is mainly associated with horticulture, pastoralism and agriculture. Usually, many of the mothers are also working outside the home in fields, gardening, or collecting wild vegetation. Once a child is old enough, they turn into the caretaker over the younger

Bowlby suggested that due to the attachment between children and their carers, children suffer loss when they are separated. Bowlby’s study with the ethologist Robert Hinde, inspired the idea that certain attachment behaviours have

SAC code of ethics Section A.9. In their work-related activities, members respect the rights of others to hold values, attitudes, and opinions that differ from their own. (SCA- code of ethics )

Early interactions between child and caregiver are the direct core of the attachment theory. The bond that develops between them is the nucleus of the identity formation as well as interpersonal attitudes. According to John Bowlby, the attachment bond is a complex behavioral system that functions throughout human evolution. It protects the infant from danger by seeking security from a guardian. With security from the guardian the likelihood of survival are enhanced as well as possible reproduction. Infants with a caregiver that meets all their needs have a secure safe- haven. When the infants needs are not met, they begin to explore the surroundings for a safe haven. These infants are unable to gather support from their caregiver

Attachment theory is described as the bond that develops between the baby and its primary caregivers Bowlby (1950), where interaction patterns develop to meet the baby’s needs and for emotional development purposes. For the child’s development, primary and secondary attachment is essential. Primary attachment refers to a child’s lifelong emotional bond with