Mothering, Attachment Theory, and Child Development

Introduction: The Role of Maternal Qualities in Development

The presence of a sensitive mother throughout a child's developmental period is an essential determinant of healthy growth and maturation. The establishment of a solid social and emotional foundation during a child's formative years can not only aid in preparing a youngster for life in the outside world, but can also instill a beneficial groundwork in the basic concepts of the self (Cassidy, 1990). In order to achieve such maternal goals, a good mother needs to possess a plethora of nurturing characteristics. The most important of these qualities include love, responsiveness, consistency, the inclination to encourage, and the ability to provide the child with a sense of security.

Successful implementation of these traits will allow the child to develop a healthy attachment to the mother, most often constructed during infancy. Through the work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, we have learned that a healthy sense of attachment to one's mother permits a secure base from which a child can safely explore and return to (Holmes, 1993). The presence of this safe haven subsequently helps to create a functioning internal working model, which is crucial for the success of future relationships. Additionally, the attributes found in loving mothers can cultivate an environment of trust. Developmental psychologist Erik Erikson identified that this trustful atmosphere is most often established during the first year of a child's life (Niolon, 2008). Furthermore, Erikson determined that consistency and predictability are the two most important traits necessary to achieve trust — as opposed to mistrust — with one's child (Niolon, 2008).

Consistency and the Foundation of Trust

During a child's formative years, a mother must serve as a lifeline. In successfully accomplishing such a comprehensive task, mothers must possess a multitude of nurturing tendencies. Although many mothers certainly possess the necessary qualities, several fail to realize the importance of integrating these qualities on a consistent and predictable basis. The level of regularity and dependability a child can garner from a mother's behavior is crucial to the development of the child's propensity to trust. Reliable care can also help a child develop a healthy routine — a result that has become increasingly important in the modern world and is a vital tool in fostering healthy emotional growth. More specifically, a steadfast routine can provide a child with a secure psychological base from which to benchmark future interactions and relationships (Bretherton, 1992).

Ultimately, a child needs to form a clear picture of who the mother is and what she represents. While traits like love, sensitivity, and support comprise the substance of this representation, consistency is the means of its instillation. Because the child will subsequently adopt many of the mother's qualities during the developmental years, a child's future self-image and view of the world are essentially shaped through these early interpretations (Cassidy, 1990).

Bowlby's Attachment Theory

Consistency is, in this sense, the factory in which a child's future character is manufactured. Throughout the entire early life of a child, a mother must provide ongoing love, sensitivity, and encouragement. The comfort the child gains through this type of caring helps to ensure a healthy level of mother-child attachment (Bretherton, 1992). Even in neurobiological studies of maternity conducted with laboratory rats, offspring whose mothers showed the greatest levels of continual care and attentiveness exhibited "substantially reduced levels of behavioral fearfulness and anti-social activity" (Caldji et al., 1998). The physiological manifestations of attachment therefore make the concept all the more significant. Even so, many mothers in the modern world are compelled to prioritize employment outside the home over sustained involvement in their child's development, reflecting a broader assumption that the objective provision of financial security matters more than the fostering of a functioning mother-child attachment (Hallberg & Klevmarken, 2002).

The groundbreaking work of John Bowlby and the subsequent research of Mary Ainsworth would certainly advocate for a restructuring of these maternal priorities. Both researchers devoted much of their work to examining and championing the importance of a healthy mother-child attachment. Bowlby, the originator of Attachment Theory, postulated that a child's attachment to the mother begins as an instinctive longing to survive and be protected (Prior & Glaser, 2006). He defined "attachment" as the child's potential action toward the mother, while the mother's relationship to the child is born from the "care-giving bond" (Bretherton, 1992). The quality of the attachment is solely determined by the actions of the caregiver. Bowlby concluded that loving and affectionate interactions, accompanied by devotion and attentiveness, are the tools for creating a strong bond (Bretherton, 1992).

The amount of quality time spent with one's child is also a key determinant of whether the child will develop a solid emotional base through the attachment to the mother (Holmes, 1993). During the formative period, if a child is able to experience a mother's love and devotion on a regular basis, he or she is more likely to develop a healthy maternal attachment. Conversely, if the mother is absent or unavailable, the child is likely to develop "separation distress" (Prior & Glaser, 2006, p. 16). This type of physical severance can lead to anxiety, anger, sadness, and despair (Prior & Glaser, 2006) — feelings that can undoubtedly alter a child's future behavior and development, particularly when experienced during the formative period. Ultimately, Bowlby's theory of attachment provided a developmental explanation of the child's behavioral system as constructed through the consistency of loving and sensitive interactions with the mother (Holmes, 1993).

Conclusion: Integrating Love, Consistency, and Secure Attachment

Ultimately, a mother needs to be loving and sensitive at her core, while projecting such affections onto the child in a consistent and predictable manner. A child's attachment to its mother is a fundamental aspect of their lives, and with all of the distractions and stressors of the modern world, it is often overlooked or downplayed. Encouragement, support, and availability are essential to the fostering of a trustful and meaningful relationship with one's children. While the pertinent literature supports the essentiality of a healthy child-to-mother attachment, love and adoration cannot be gleaned simply through research. Therefore, a mother must have unconditional love for her child, yet she must also behave in a consistent and sensitive way in order for the child to develop a healthy and functioning behavioral system.