Ruth's Renewal
Learning Center

Attachment · 5 min read

What secure attachment actually looks like

Secure attachment isn't a child who never cries. It's a child who reaches for their person when things go wrong — and finds them there.

The still face experiment

When a caregiver stops responding, a baby will work to regain connection — babbling, reaching, protesting. The distress is not the problem. The distress is the child telling us that connection matters.

Comfort seeking is health

A securely attached child uses their caregiver as a base to explore and a haven to return to. The exploration is the growth. The return is the trust.

Takeaways

  • ·A child who runs to you is a child who trusts you.
  • ·Independence grows out of secure dependence.

Reflection

  • "What did you do when you were scared as a child? Where did you go?"

Further reading

  • Bowlby — A Secure Base

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