Our kids will grow up with a particular attachment type – which will impact the quality of their future relationships. Good parents will do everything they can to help their kids form healthy attachments.
Talking Points:
- Secure parents approach parenting with confidence feeling like they can meet their child’s needs and create a loving bond with them.
- Avoidant parents approach parenting with some indifference and distance. They aren’t lacking the confidence to be a good parent but they may not be comfortable with a close bond.
- Anxious parents question if they can be a good parent and tend to create insecure attachments because they are focused more on their own emotions.
- Disordered parents are inconsistent waffling between an avoidant style and an anxious style. This leaves the kid feeling confused and unsure of their connection to their caregiver.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Which of the 4 attachment types describes your primary caregivers? How did their attachment style affect you growing up?
- Have you embraced parenting as a welcome challenge or has it brought you a lot of angst? Explain.
- Which of the 4 attachments best describes you as a parent right now? Explain.
- You can adjust your attachment style. What are some things you can start doing to create more secure attachments with your kids?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
