ABSTRACT
Research in child development is clear that one of the most important influences on a young child's development and well-being is the quality of the early attachments that they have with their parents. Children's attachments with their parents are often described as being secure or insecure. A secure attachment between a child and his or her parents seems to help a child's sense of basic safety, and hence their inner and outer feelings self-confidence. Insecure attachments are often associated with patterns of behaviour that are hard to handle. Sometimes, however, children have the experience that their key carers do not reliably help them feel better. Maybe the adult is not very confident as a parent, or seems very stressed, tense or rejecting. Maybe the child has been upset by a long separation and is worried the parent might leave again.
