When anxious or unhappy, Baby Meredith prefers to be comforted by her mother. Tim, her father, is concerned that Meredith will not become attached to him. What information can you provide to reassure Tim?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: Although John Bowlby believed that infants are predisposed to direct their attachment behaviors to a single special person, especially when they are distressed, his theory allows for multiple attachments. Babies develop attachments to a variety of familiar people—not just mothers but also fathers, grandparents, siblings, and professional caregivers. When anxious or unhappy, most babies prefer to be comforted by their mother, but this preference typically declines over the second year. And when babies are not distressed, they approach, vocalize to, and smile equally often at both parents, who respond similarly to these overtures. Fathers’ sensitive caregiving predicts attachment security, though somewhat less strongly than mothers’. Play is a vital context in which fathers build secure attachments. A warm marital bond and supportive coparenting promote both parents’ sensitivity and involvement and children’s attachment security, but they are especially important for fathers.