Nurturing and Attachment

“Always reward your long hours of labor and toil in the very best way, surrounded by your family. Nurture their love carefully, remembering that your children need models, not critics… even if you have failed at all else in the eyes of the world, if you have a loving family, you are a success.”

-Og Mandino

What is attachment?

Attachment is a deep bond that should develop between a caregiver and infant when the infant is between 6 months and two years of age. Attachment happens when the adult is loving, consistent and responds to the child’s needs. Children who receive love and nurturing from their parents will be happier and healthier later in life.

Parent Tip Sheets on Nurturing and Attachment:

Click on the following links to download printable parent tip sheets on Nurturing and Attachment:

Attachment Matters

Attachment Resources:

The two links below are trusted websites that can be used to find information on a variety of topics. For information about how to find accurate sources and how we chose these sites visit our Trusted Sources page.

National Network for Child Care

http://www.nncc.org/

KidsHealth

http://kidshealth.org/

More Attachment Resources:

The following links will take you away from the PCAT Parents website. Each page we link to has been evaluated for accuracy, but links found on those pages have not.

Offord Centre for Child Studies – The Importance of Attachment

http://knowledge.offordcentre.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=226:the-importance-of-attachment&catid=59:what-do-children-need

HelpGuide.Org – Attachment and Adult Relationships

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eqa_attachment_bond.htm

HelpGuide.Org – Attachment Disorders

http://helpguide.org/mental/parenting_bonding_reactive_attachment_disorder.htm

HelpGuide.Org – Bonding with Your Baby

http://helpguide.org/mental/parenting_attachment.htm

American Psychological Association – The Bond Between Mother and Child

http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep95/attach.html

National Network for Child Care – Helping to Form a Secure Attachment

http://www.nncc.org/Child.Dev/dc25_secure.attach.html