ABSTRACT
Winnicott (b. 1896, d. 1971), a pediatrician and psychoanalyst, studied development in children beginning in 1923. Over the course of his career, he derived several concepts relevant to the emotional and cognitive development of children. First, he believed in the natural unfolding of the developmental process. That “every human being, given a facilitating environment, intrinsically contains the momentum for growth towards emotional as well as physical maturity, and towards a positive contribution to society” (Davis & Wallbridge, 1981, p. 5). Second, he noted that unfolding occurs in the context of the relationship with a primary caregiver. Winnicott recognized that each infant or child interacts within the environment in unique ways, and that the mother (or primary caregiver) moderates the environment or provides care so the infant or child is able to mature and grow in his or her own process of development. Winnicott noted the tremendous work and self-sacrifice of caring for an infant and raising children. As such, it is impossible for any mother to be perfect, but she can be a “good-enough mother.” In other words, the primary caregiver attunes to the unique needs of the developing child, providing environmental support that is “good-enough” to facilitate the natural unfolding of a child (Reinstein, 2006).
