ABSTRACT
Children's interactions with carers are based on mutual love and affection, socialising and play, the need to be cared for and attachment. Attachment refers to the infant's selective and enduring emotional connection with an adult caregiver. Beginning at about 6–7 months of age, infants seek proximity with the primary attachment figure (usually the mother) for security and comfort. Such a sense of security enables the infant to confidently explore the environment in the knowledge that s/he can return to the attachment figure in the face of any threat. The caregiver's sensitivity and motivation in reading the infant's signals, and quality of their responses, form the basis of a two-way relationship between the infant and the carer. Once a selective attachment with a primary caregiver is established children usually form multiple and often simultaneous attachments with other carers, e.g. father, grandparents, aunts and older siblings. Generally two or three such attachments form during childhood, with a hierarchical order of preference. Compared to those with a history of poor attachment relationships, children with a secure and stable attachment history are generally more capable of developing and maintaining successful relationships, better emotional regulation and a more positive sense of self as adults (Thompson 2008).
