Internal Working Model
A second thing that caregivers can do is to provide children with items that can remind them of their parents while they're gone such as photos of their family as well as providing comfort items like a favorite toy or blanket from home. It might also help to have caregivers read books that talk about hellos and goodbyes (Balaban, 2006). A third step that care providers can take to help with separations is to have a consistent and predictable goodbye routine that children use every day. Benjamin Mardell, a researcher and former childcare practitioner, recommends things such as having a picture of each child that they flip over every morning to announce their arrival, having the parents make a game of flying the child into the teacher's arms,
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One of attachment theory founders, John Bowlby, proposed an idea called the internal working model which is the idea that our past attachment experiences create an internal model of what we expect and how we react in future attachment relationships. Based on how our past attachment experiences played out, our future relationships can be impacted positively or negatively. Research has found that there is a strong correlation between parent’s internal working models and how parents interact and form attachments with their children. Luckily though, those with negative attachment pasts can learn to overcome them. Even John Bowlby acknowledged that parents can learn to provide sensitive caregiving that supports attachments when given examples of sensitive caregiving (Rolfe, 2004). Both of these illustrations show how education and learning can help to support the attachments between children and their families, especially when families are having difficulties with attachments. Early childhood programs work directly with families and are in a perfect position to give out information about what children need to develop healthy attachments and how parent’s past attachment experiences can impact their attachments to their children. This information could be delivered in various ways, including giving presentations to parents, providing newsletters that talk about attachments, and even having caregivers talk to families one on one about these
One of attachment theory founders, John Bowlby, proposed an idea called the internal working model which is the idea that our past attachment experiences create an internal model of what we expect and how we react in future attachment relationships. Based on how our past attachment experiences played out, our future relationships can be impacted positively or negatively. Research has found that there is a strong correlation between parent’s internal working models and how parents interact and form attachments with their children. Luckily though, those with negative attachment pasts can learn to overcome them. Even John Bowlby acknowledged that parents can learn to provide sensitive caregiving that supports attachments when given examples of sensitive caregiving (Rolfe, 2004). Both of these illustrations show how education and learning can help to support the attachments between children and their families, especially when families are having difficulties with attachments. Early childhood programs work directly with families and are in a perfect position to give out information about what children need to develop healthy attachments and how parent’s past attachment experiences can impact their attachments to their children. This information could be delivered in various ways, including giving presentations to parents, providing newsletters that talk about attachments, and even having caregivers talk to families one on one about these