Emotional Development

Healthy emotional development in early childhood is very important.

This handout will cover how attachment ties into emotional
development and go over a few ways parents or caregivers can
help children navigate through emotional development.

What is attachment?
Attachment is an emotional tie that a child develops and maintains with a caregiver. There are four different
styles of attachment: secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant, and disorganized. As a parent or
caregiver, you want to make sure that your child is developing secure attachments. This means that a child
views that caregiver as a safe haven, somebody that they find comfort in being with. The following are some
ways that parents or caregivers can ensure that their child is developing secure attachments.

Attachment P
Know the basics: lay
Yes, it's import
parents and caant to meet a child's basic
importance of regivers should not undereneeds, but
called "attach play. Caregivers can enga stimate the
or tant strate gy for m a king sure that a play that enco ment play," which is a spec ge in what is
The most imp ts is to kn ow what they development. urages healthy attachment ial kind of
child develops se cure a tta ch m en
include lots of It's fun, interactive play tha
need. things to keep laughter. However, there a t should
in re
th eir liv es . Es ta blish re gular routines Don't teach agmind for attachment play: a few
Routine: Children need ro ut in e in Don't involve t gression.
im es , ba th tim es , eating times, and
with your child, like co ns ist en t be dt
rout in e, yo u're lessening the Don't involve ceasing.
he n yo u en fo rc e Don't enforce ompetition.
other activities. W ur child's life.
ch ance of unpr ed icta bilit y in yo child get awaypermissive discipline; do no
ro ut in e go ha nd-in-hand. Children allowed to do with anything they are not t let your
pe nd ab ility an d important and for the sake of play. Limits normally
Dependability: De es pe cial ly ba bi es . In orde r for your
r ow n,
often can't do things on thei ey need to know that you will be There are no s should always be consistenare
child to feel safe around you, thcry, soothe them. When they're hungry, remain flexibleet rules; follow your child's let.
there to help them. When theyr them is a huge step. Avoid teaching. ad and
feed them. Just being there fo toward the ch or correcting, unless it's hu
th at yo u'r e pa ying attention to environment. ild or anyone/anything else rtful
re n lik e to kn ow in the
Pay attention: Child he n yo u sp end time with them, try Avoid tickling
them and listeni ng to th ei r ne ed s. W
te ntio n; sm ile at them , make eye enforce healthas it can be a tricky situatio
to focus on giving them un di vid ed at
ill be a huge help. Don't try to do y boundaries in. n to
give th em w ar m hu gs . Th is w attachment pla
contact, crying. y when a child
Lastly, be PRES is
watch TV. Atta ENT. Do not use your phone
chment play is ,
the child. dedicated entor
irely to

Reference
Myers, R. (2018, January 30). How to Develop Attachment with a Child. Child Development Institute.
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/how-to-develop-attachment-with-a-
child/#gs.ub72en
Flip-Hanke, J. (2015, March). Promoting Attachment Through Play [Presentation]. Early Learners
Conference, Sonoma State University. https://www.scoe.org/files/FilpHanke-Promoting-Attachment-
Through-Play.pdf