We know that some children form bonds with certain objects from infancy. They exhibit behaviors such as not sleeping, not eating, not going out separately from them. For example, some children could not sleep without their mother’s cheesecloth, without feeling her scent. If they couldn’t find it, he would cry for hours. We see similar examples around many of us.
Babies establish their first communication with their mothers. Interaction and bonding occurs between the mother and the child during activities such as breastfeeding, taking the child in her arms, cleaning, putting her to sleep, etc. This connection is basically divided into three.
Secure attachment: When the caregiver (mother) is with her child, the child is comfortable and continues to explore his/her surroundings. He is restless and cries when the caregiver is not present. Individuals with this attachment style tend to view themselves and others positively. They value close relationships and are successful in initiating and maintaining such relationships
Unstable/anxious attachment: They develop excessive and inconsistent responses to the caregiver’s warnings and presence. Those who show attachment in this way feel anger towards the caregiver and cannot explore comfortably.
Anxious/avoidant attachment: These children avoid contact with the caregiver and focus their attention on objects (toys. When the caregiver is not in the environment, they do not cry and continue to play.
These differences in the attachment mole are decisive in character traits and future communication.
Children who start to explore their surroundings later make contact with objects (toys). During this contact, children first recognize and connect to these objects according to the sound and smell of the object. Then the color, shape, softness, size of the objects Selectivity develops according to etc.
Therefore, this attachment that children establish with caregivers and belongings is effective in every part of their lives. Although the type and duration of attachment show characteristic differences, attachment occurs in almost every child. After a while attachment develops, it can turn into a habit in prone children.
Sometimes your mother has a e It can be a blanket or a pillow, as well as a piece of furniture. This difference is due to the child’s caregiver, his environment, life experiences and the child’s structural characteristics. For example, children who have an anxious attachment to their mother develop a sleeping pattern by making contact with their mother at night (holding her hair, holding her hand). Another example is sleeping with the toys of new, constantly played or imitated imaginary heroes is common in preschool ages. The differences of the selected samples are due to their color, odor, softness and constant exposure.
Various problems such as low self-esteem, separation anxiety, school refusal, generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobias can be seen in advanced ages in children with excessive attachment. The above-mentioned problems are common, especially in children who show a pathological attachment pattern with the caregiver (mother). For this reason, excessive attachment to the caregiver or items (toys) should be avoided. In this direction, starting from the age of 3-4, children should be encouraged to communicate more with their environment, discover new things and add new colors to their lives. For example, it may be beneficial to change or differentiate the items she uses, and to allow her to spend time with other people (especially her peers) other than the mother.
If these habits continue until advanced ages and cause uneasiness in the life of the child or family, a specialist should be consulted and help should be sought.
We have mentioned above the diseases that can be seen in children and adolescence. In addition, studies have found that children who show excessive attachment to caregivers and belongings in the pre-school period have an increased risk of using alcohol and drugs in their future lives. In addition, these children are more likely to encounter problems in their family life in the future. Considering all these, healthy attachment development in children from early ages
