Session 4/13
Page 3/5: Topic Introduction B: The Dimensions of Secure Caregiver BehaviourTopic Introduction B: The Dimensions of Secure Caregiver Behaviour
What is the best way to act when you focus on relations work with children?
It is not so much about what you do (the task), but about the way you do it (the relation quality).
The way you relate to a baby (especially during the first two years of life) is a learning process, where the child learns how to cope with separations and how to relate to other people. This is learned from the first caregiver(s), and interaction with early caregivers forms the child’s Attachment Pattern.
A SECURE CHILD: THE SECURE ATTACHMENT PATTERN
When caregivers act securely, the child tends to be sad when the caregiver leaves – but not for long. It will soon start crawling away and spend a lot of time playing and exploring as we saw in the session “Attachment”.
A young child with good caregivers will develop a Secure Attachment pattern:
As the child grows older, it will develop a positive idea of itself and a positive and trusting attitude towards other people, children and caregivers. It will seek for care and help when it needs help.
It will not only be able to play with peers, it will also be able to leave a friend and find other playmates when it gets bored by some activity. It will prefer some caregivers to others because it feels more attached to some caregivers than others, and it will prefer some peers to others and develop friendships with them. When the child grows up, it will function well in social relations, and it will be able to learn as much as possible in school and other institutions.
This happens only if caregivers relate with the baby / young child in a secure way.