Infant Case Narrative
Infant Case Narrative
“Attachment Milestones”
Craig Kleikamp
Developmental Psychology
5/29/14
For this first narrative I will be focusing on my daughter Kendall, who provides me with constant examples and material to share on many topics. Today I would like to share with you some observations that I have seen in her behavior in the area of attachment. (p. 112) and the necessity of having a primary attachment figure (p.113) from the very beginning of life so that we can have the best chance to succeed and have healthy relationships throughout our life.
I can still picture in my mind the day we brought our daughter home for the first time. It was a hot sticky day in June in West Virginia, and we held her close in our air conditioned apartment. We felt so connected to this new being that now was an active part of our lives. For the first couple months it seemed so easy since all she did was eat and sleep. But slowly and surly we started to notice changes take place such as her first social smile (p.113) that we were convinced was just for us. That was such a magical moment. Just seeing her show those first expressions of happiness and joy truly was surreal. Up until month 5 or 6 Kendall could be held by almost anyone. We called her our social butterfly, if they had arms and a bottle they met the criteria! But suddenly her behavior changed almost overnight. The one day her Grandpa came by to visit she snuggled right in his chest and fell asleep. Two days later when we saw my dad again she cried bloody murder and didn’t want to be held by him at all. She was beginning the stage of clear cut attachment which is defined by separation anxiety and needing a primary caregiver close by. She would also have moments where she preferred either my wife over me or she wanted me instead of my wife. My wife was going back to work at this point, when Kendall was experiencing stranger and separation anxiety which made leaving her at daycare really challenging.
“Attachment Milestones”
Craig Kleikamp
Developmental Psychology
5/29/14
For this first narrative I will be focusing on my daughter Kendall, who provides me with constant examples and material to share on many topics. Today I would like to share with you some observations that I have seen in her behavior in the area of attachment. (p. 112) and the necessity of having a primary attachment figure (p.113) from the very beginning of life so that we can have the best chance to succeed and have healthy relationships throughout our life.
I can still picture in my mind the day we brought our daughter home for the first time. It was a hot sticky day in June in West Virginia, and we held her close in our air conditioned apartment. We felt so connected to this new being that now was an active part of our lives. For the first couple months it seemed so easy since all she did was eat and sleep. But slowly and surly we started to notice changes take place such as her first social smile (p.113) that we were convinced was just for us. That was such a magical moment. Just seeing her show those first expressions of happiness and joy truly was surreal. Up until month 5 or 6 Kendall could be held by almost anyone. We called her our social butterfly, if they had arms and a bottle they met the criteria! But suddenly her behavior changed almost overnight. The one day her Grandpa came by to visit she snuggled right in his chest and fell asleep. Two days later when we saw my dad again she cried bloody murder and didn’t want to be held by him at all. She was beginning the stage of clear cut attachment which is defined by separation anxiety and needing a primary caregiver close by. She would also have moments where she preferred either my wife over me or she wanted me instead of my wife. My wife was going back to work at this point, when Kendall was experiencing stranger and separation anxiety which made leaving her at daycare really challenging.