Child Observation Essay

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Another rather consistent observation I saw was the indication that most children used their parent as a secure base. A secure base is provided through a relationship that harbors one or more responsive caregivers who meets the child’s needs and to whom the child can turn to as a safe haven, when upset or distraught. This relationship can be seen in many of the observations I made. The one that stands out the most and that clearly depicts how a child uses a secure base is Susy. Susy used her parents as secure base when she was frightened by the boy that was older than her and whom she didn’t know. She ran to her parents for protection and comfort from the stranger. Another clear depiction of a secure base was when Susy demonstrated separation …show more content…

She devised an assessment that would differentiate attachments between children and their caregivers which is called the Strange Situation Classification. A key component that plays a role in attachment is the caregiver and how they respond to their children when they are in need. This being said, the most common form of attachment I observed was secure attachment. A child who is securely attached to their caregiver will explore freely while the parent is present. They are often visibly upset when the parent leaves, but is generally happy when the parent returns. This can be seen when Susy’s parents left her, but returned a little while later to comfort Susy who showed distress. Susy’s parents clearly depict a caregiver that is caring and attentive toward their children making Susy more prone to having a secure attachment. Susy was reasonably consoled and began playing nicely once she understood her mistakes. This was relatively consistent with each child I observed. Timmy’s parents shared in joint attention with him as well as mutual gazing, Charlie’s parents played with him and let him explore his environment, and Jake was easily comforted from his attachment figures while trying to understand the toy castle …show more content…

This child will ignore or avoid the caregiver, while also showing little emotion when the caregiver departs or returns. In this type of attachment the child will not explore very much regardless of who is present. Avoidant behavior allows the child to maintain a consistent proximity with the caregiver. The child is usually close enough to maintain protection, but far enough to avoid rejection. None of the children I observed fit into this category, but I can provide an example of a previous observation that could have demonstrated this type of attachment. For example, when Charlie was going to put a handful of sand in his mouth he second guessed his decision because of the use of social referencing. He saw his mother’s facial expression and decided against the action. If Charlie was insecure-avoidant he would have ignored his mother and would have eaten the sand without even acknowledging her. Insecure-avoidant children are not dependent on their attachment figures so they investigate their environment without their caregivers. They do not seek comfort form their attachment figures. These children are likely to have parents who are rejecting toward the child’s needs and are often unavailable during times of emotional

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