By: Kayli Beaty, LMFT Associate, Supervised By Dr. Mark White, LMFT-S
Perhaps you are a new parent striving to set firm foundations in place to ensure you are prepared to rear a strong, healthy child. Maybe you have been a parent for a long time and are seeking a different way to help your children grow in their emotional intelligence. Wherever you stand, it is not too late, or too early, to review and alter the narrative around emotions in your home.
One of the foundational concepts attributable to emotionally healthy children comes from a sense of emotional safety and stability they receive from their parents or caregivers. Dr. John Bowlby utilizes the term “secure base” when referring to this concept. The secure attachment necessary to have a secure base is formed when “people perceive their primary figure as available and responsive” (Harris, Marshall, & Schvaneveldt, 2008, pp.265).
When children are taught from an early age that emotions are not inherently bad, nor are they something to be ashamed of, they will have a greater sense of safety and comfortability in discussing their emotions with their caregivers. Structure and predictability provide a sense of secure attachment which helps the child know you are near, physically and emotionally. Creating a space for your child to openly share their emotions free from judgment and full of curiosity and safety sets the tone for how emotions can be healthily expressed, processed, and navigated.
For further discussion on tangible steps to nurture a secure attachment with your child or children, schedule an appointment with me, Kayli Beaty, through our portal at dwatherapy.com, or call our office at 806-780-0003. I am prepared to walk alongside you and your family as you strive to raise healthy children from the inside out.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Kayli
References
Harris, V. W., Marshall, J. P., & Schvaneveldt, J. D.(2008). In the eyes of god: How attachment theory informs historical and contemporary marriage and religious practices among Abrahamic faiths. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 39(2), pp.252-278.
