ABSTRACT
The newborn child discovers many groundings. It lies across the mother’s abdomen and is grounded on the outside of her body, sensing the same rhythms and heartbeats it has previously experienced inside. It holds and is held; encloses part of her in a hand, or the curl of its body, and is enclosed by the contact with her. When it sucks at the breast, it could be said to be grounding its mouth. When it looks at her face, it can be said to be grounding its eyes. In the flow of developing language, it begins to ground its ideas. In all the progressive movements from lying prone, to holding its head up, through crawling and squatting, to standing, it learns good or poor contact with the physical ground. All this takes place in an emotional environment which forms the background for the child’s organisation of its activity.
