BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE PARENT

During the first few months of life, infants rely on built-in behaviours such as crying, cooing ,  and smiling to initiate and maintain contact with adult caregivers.  Before long, infants start to recognize their most frequent caregiver( typically, the mother) and are more easily soothed by that person.  By the age of 8 months, most babies develop a strong emotional connection to a single familiar caregiver , most likely the mother. This is termed INFANT ATTACHMENT.

Infants’ attachment to their mothers is  not automatic because not all infants  develop a secure attachment to their mothers.  In some situations, some mothers are insensitive or inconsistent in responding to their infants’ needs.  Problems  with attachment may also arise  with “difficult” infants. For instance , some babies are prone to distress, spit most of their food , make bathing a major battle, refuse to go to sleep, and rarely smile.  It is easy to see that such behaviour could undermine a mother’s  responsiveness to an infant.

Psychologists  have  classified  infants into four(4) attachment styles by about 8 months of age:  AVOIDANT  attachment ,  ANXIOUS-AMBIVALENT attachment, DISORGANISED/DISORIENTED attachment, and SECURE attachment.

Babies with avoidant attachment style tend to ignore their mothers. Those with anxious-ambivalent  style seem to desire contact with the mother, yet they actively resist her when she comes near.   In disorganised/disoriented style, the infants are both drawn to their mothers and fear them because of past negative interactions. This style is common among abused children. Majority of  infants are,  however, Securely attached and welcome contact with their mothers.
A secure attachment to a caregiver during infancy is important because  it seems to provide the basis for successful social relationship, development of a sense of basic  trust in the mother and towards the world at large (later in life). 

As children move from infancy to toddlerhood and to adolescent and young adulthood, the role of parenting broadens. The effectiveness  in which parental roles  are played has significant implications for the academic performance of children at every level of education.

Our next write-ups  will focus o