this is a powerpoint presentation rough draft on attachments between children and parents and the theories behind it. This was created so that you may judge it and help me create a more complete and beneficial slide show to help educate us

1. ATTACHMENT: INFANTS AND PARENTS

2. RELEVANCE
 I will be a councillor/therapist for the youth and I want to help them in any ay
possible
 I’m very family oriented and I plan to have kids eventually. I want to make their life
as good as possible as a kid.

3. THEORIES/PERSPECTIVES
 Psychoanalytical Perspectives
-Sigmund Freud
-He considers nursing and weaning important in the attachment process.
 Erik Erikson
-Talking to, comforting and expressing affection is also integral to a child’s growth.
-trust vs. mistrust stage.(birth-18 months)

4. THEORIES/PERSPECTIVES (CONT.)
 Ethological
-Attachment theory:The child was born with the ability to bond emotionally with
the parent(It’s genetic)
 Attachment – the emotional bond that connects parent to child or infant.
Attachment isn’t just made between biological parents. It can be made with
foster parents as well.

5. A CHILD’S ATTACHMENT TO OTHERS
 Child to parent
Synchrony – attachment behaviors that child and parent share. (Baby cries,
so mother holds child)
 Bowelby(1969) and Ainsworth(1913)
Phases of attachment
1. (birth - 3 months) Babies use signaling: behaving for a specific need(crying, eye
contact, clinging, etc.
(continues on next page)

6. CHILD’S ATTACHMENT TO OTHERS (CONT.)
2. (3 – 6 months) child becomes more responsive to those he comes into contact
with and less to others
3. (6 – 24 months) Secure base behaviour. More obvious behaviours such as
following caregiver or going to them for needs such as hunger, comfort when
injured, etc.
4. (24 months onward) children know how certain actions can affect the
relationship between them and their caregiver.This knowledge helps them in
making their own relationships with others.

7. PARENTAL ROLE IN ATTACHMENT
 Parent to child
 Parents need to be emotionally available for the child if they wish for their child to
have a stronger attachment on them
 Be careful with placing personal problems before your emotional responses to
child as it could cause avoidant attachment (see page 10)
 Personal problems is focusing on other things, such as money and entertainment
 Remember: Physical needs is different than emotional needs

8. PARENTAL ROLE IN ATTACHMENT(CONT.)
 Social statuses in caregivers play a role in child attachment
-Married couples: child has a stronger attachment
(may be other factors as married couples are generally richer and have a
higher education)
-Divorce, whether already done or in the process of, does cause conflict as
child is exposed to arguments, especially verbal, which causes withdrawals in
children

9. PARENTAL ROLE
 Mental health may also cause changes in attachment quality.
 Depression – causes negative emotions in children and may even cause them to
refuse to eat. Causes insecure attachment and social withdrawal in later ages
Caused because depression in parent makes them withdrawn themselves, so are
less affectionate to their children.
May also be because they overstimulate the child or react angrily to their baby

10. AINSWORTH’S ATTACHMENT THEORY
 Secure attachment
-Pattern of attachment. Child can leave parent, but still seeks him/her out
when stressed or wants security
 Avoidant attachment
-Child shows no preference between parent or strangers and avoids parent.
 Ambivalent attachment
-Child shows little behavior to leaving parent.When he/she does, they are greatly
upset, even when reunited with their parent.

11. ATTACHMENT THEORY
 The attachment theories can change under circumstances. It does not always stay
at one type.
 Ways it can change:
-When parents go through a divorce
-When family moves to a new home
-Child experiences trauma like sexual abuse
-When a parent dies

12. ATTACHMENT THEORY(CONT.)
 Some children are securely attached to one parent, while insecurely attached to
the other
 Attachment develops depending on the quality of the relationship between child
and caregiver
 Children at later ages may also use the relationship model they had with their
parent(s) on others(teachers, friends, etc.)

13. REFERENCES
 http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/a/trust-versus-
mistrust.htm
 http://www.healthinharmony.com/category/childrenteen-mental-health-nutrition