Menu Close

Articles on Attachment theory

Displaying all articles

Strong, supportive relationships with moms, dads and nonparental caregivers are all vital. skynesher/E+ via Getty Images

Secure attachment to both parents − not just mothers − boosts children’s healthy development

Psychologists have long focused on the importance of a secure attachment with a mother for healthy child development. A new look supports the value of attachment – but it doesn’t have to be with mom.
A child’s sense of attachment with parents or caregivers is formed from the consolidation of a series of interactions and responses during the child’s first year of life (and beyond). (Shutterstock)

How children’s secure attachment sets the stage for positive well-being

Parents or caregivers who a child can return to in times of distress to receive comfort or protection provide a secure base for the child from which they feel safe to explore the world.
Desire’s story of loss and longing is threaded with moments of hope, like a ‘dangerous but invigorating’ ocean swim. Mickael Gresset/Unsplash

Sex, ‘skin hunger’ and problematic men: Jessie Cole’s memoir investigates desire after trauma

Jessie Cole’s memoir traces a love affair: a long-distance relationship with an unnamed, older lover. It’s set against layers of thinking about love, desire, bodies and ecological disaster.
‘As a mom I couldn’t stand hearing my daughter cry herself to sleep, but as a physician I knew that sleep training was safe and that a well-rested baby would be a happy baby,’ says Stephanie Liu. (Stephanie Liu)

Why sleep training will not hurt your child

A doctor reviews the medical evidence on the controversial practise of sleep training infants.
Men and women rate warmth and trustworthiness as very important in their potential partner. Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

We all want the same things in a partner, but why?

What movies tell us is important in a parter – a nice smile or money – are exaggerations of fundamental evolutionary needs that actually do matter.
When we send children off to school, we are asking them to leave their secure base and head off into the great unknown. (Shutterstock)

Five steps to prepare your child for kindergarten

Even kids who have attended daycare can find the first days of kindergarten stressful. The good news is that parents can take practical steps this summer, to prepare for the fall transition.

Top contributors

More