Human babies are vulnerable and helpless.
As infants, our children depend on us for everything – feeding, cleaning up, safety, comfort and all kinds of needs.
Hence, the earliest emotional bonds or attachments with the people who care for them – typically, the birth parents – are vital.
This is not just for when they are growing up, but also for shaping their future relationships as adults.
What is attachment?
Attachment is a strong and lasting emotional bond between two individuals in which the presence or closeness of a person provides a sense of comfort and security to the other person.
This can be observed in relationships, e.g. between parents and children, siblings and life partners.
Attachment theory was first described by British psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Dr John Bowlby in 1950.
This theory was one of the earlier psychological explanations emphasising the crucial role of early attachment between infants and their parents or caregivers (attachment figures) in their social-emotional development.
Attachment theory proposes that babies have an innate drive to form attachments with their caregivers.
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