Importance Of Attachment Theory

The Origins of Attachment Theory

Attachment Theory – the idea that children need to develop a safe and secure attachment to a parent or caregiver in order to develop and thrive – was introduced by an English psychiatrist named John Bowlby in the 1950s (Cortina, 2011). Bowlby knew all about the importance of attachments because he never had one to either of his parents.

Bowlby grew up in an age that thought that paying attention to children would spoil them, so Bowlby’s upper class parents spent as little time with him each day as they could, and when he was seven, they sent him off to boarding school. But even if they had not thought that spending time with children would spoil them, his parents still could not have spent much time with

It is a natural tendency to seek and maintain closeness with a caregiver, both physically and emotionally. According to Bowlby, a secure attachment with a caregiver gives a child a safe base from which to explore the world (McLeod, 2009) Bowlby believed that children have an innate need to develop a close relationship with one main figure, usually the mother. When they do not, it has negative consequences on their development. It may cause depression, aggression, delinquency, and a decline in intelligence.

Attachment occurs in stages. The first stage is pre-attachment, which occurs from birth to 6 weeks. During this stage newborns get an adult’s attention through smiling, crying, babbling, and making eye (Divecha, 2017). Although, they are not attached to their mother yet, they feel soothed and calm when they are carried by her or feel her presence (Divecha 2017). The second stage occurs between 6 weeks and eight months. The infant begins to develop trust in his or her mother and relies on her all of the time. When the child is comforted by the mother, they begin to smile because they feel trust (Divecha, 2017). The infant loves the company of their parent or caregiver and gets distressed when attention is not given to them (McLeod,

The most important attachment is with the mother, but children can form attachments with others as well. There are many ways teachers can influence an insecurely attached child’s behavior. Teachers can create a structured environment with extremely consistent rules, being consistent and specific when giving praise or seeing poor behavior, and providing the child with choices. Students can also receive choices from the teacher. For example, I give my students choices at work every day with the use of visuals: “Would you like cereal or a bagel? Choose one”. As a teacher, I always keep their calm in the classroom setting and avoid losing their