Attachment builds the brain!
Every parent knows these moments: these face-to-face, gaze-to-gaze, you-laugh-then-I-laugh, you-whimper-then-I-go-ohhh encounters. These are now recognized as absolutely critical to healthy early brain development, particularly to OFC circuitry. This very important aspect of brain structure and function is wired in direct response to relationship, and is wired to emulate and echo that of his attachment figure!! During the days, months and early years of these kinds of responsive, reciprocal, “brain-tuning” encounters with one or two consistent, predictable caregivers, the infant’s brain is absorbing implicit “lessons” about how a human being needs to respond socially and emotionally to do well in his particular family, his “tribe.” The godfather of the field of attachment neurobiology, Dr. Allan Schore, puts it very bluntly: “The mother is downloading emotion programs into the infant’s right brain.”
That is why researchers have come to realize that when we speak of parenting skills, it’s as much who you are as what you do and say! And that one of the most important parental skills is the ability to simply be present with your baby and young child. This is sometimes easier said than done. To learn more…