Social Development

Parent–Child Relationship

Early in children's lives, their primary social interactions are with their primary caregivers, typically their mothers and fathers (although this can vary within and between cultures), and these early social interactions set the basis for all interactions later on. Infants learn important lessons about what to expect from others and how to meet their needs through their repeated interactions with their parents over time. The focus of early social interactions for infants surrounds having their basic physical and emotional needs met. All infants vary in their emotionality and their need to be soothed, as well as their abilities to soothe themselves and be soothed by others. Differences in parenting styles, such as insensitivity, unresponsiveness, and inconsistency may lead children to be more [Page 914]emotional and have greater difficulty in regulating their emotions, because they do not know what to expect and are not having their own needs met appropriately. More emotional children may elicit more negative responses from their parents, and thus a negative reciprocal cycle is established.

John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth contend that infants' patterns of interactions with their parents develop into patterns of attachment style. Attachment refers to the enduring emotional bond that develops between people. Parents who are sensitive, responsive, and consistent in meeting their infants' needs over time are more likely to have infants who develop a secure emotional attachment. When parents are unable to consistently meet their infants' needs, then an insecure emotional attachment is more likely to develop. Children who have a secure attachment feel confident that their parents are there for them when they need them and are able to successfully reach out to their parents in times of physical, social, emotional, or other needs and be comforted. On the other hand, children who are not securely attached may not feel safe or comfortable seeking help from their parents because they have not successfully had their needs met in the past. Instead, they may try to hide their emotions or needs. When insecurely attached children do attempt to seek out their parents for help, they may either outright reject their parents' attempts at consolation or simply may not feel comforted by them.

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