Why Fostering Secure Attachment In Our Kids Is So Crucial

Hello everybody! Welcome to The Attachment Confessions!

Thanks so much for joining me for Episode 5 – Why Fostering Secure Attachment In Our Kids Is So Crucial.

In today's episode, we take a deeper dive into one of the early attachment experiments that our guest from episode 4, Brie Neil, mentioned toward the beginning of our conversation – Mary Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation' experiment. This experiment is what piqued Brie's interest in attachment science, and I gotta tell you, I was already obsessed with attachment before, but learning about the 'Strange Situation' catapulted my obsession to new heights!

We'll discuss how Ainsworth's groundbreaking findings truly confirmed and shaped attachment theory as we know it today, and how cultivating a secure attachment in our children is so pivotal in how they will experience relationships for the rest of their lives. 

The kicker, though? It is nearly impossible to foster a secure attachment in our kids if we, as parents, do not have a secure attachment of our own. This just further goes to show yet another reason healing our insecure attachment is so critical.

Now, if you're thinking, "Oh, great! I've already totally messed up this whole parenting thing!!" – Remember guys, attachment is learned. This can all be unlearned. Healing is possible, for both you and your child! All you have to do is take the first step toward healing.

Resources to check out that I mention for better understanding and healing your insecure attachment: 

• Brie Neil – LPC & Attachment Specialist (guest from episode 4). Check out her services at Thrive Counseling Clinic's website
• Thais Gibson's book Attachment Theory: A Guide to Strengthening the Relationships in Your Life
• Adam Levine & Rachel Heller's book Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find-and Keep-Love
• Bessel van der Kolk's #1 New York Times bestseller The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
• Dr. Sarah Hensley – Social Psychologist and world-renowned attachment and attraction expert's services at The Love Doc | Relationship Coaching Services

Whether you're an Anxious Preoccupied, a Dismissive Avoidant, or a Fearful Avoidant – it is never too late to heal your insecure attachment. And it is also never too late to course-correct the attachment you've been cultivating in your child.

Here on The Attachment Confessions, you'll have a ring-side seat to my attachment healing journey. We'll get into some pretty heavy, interesting stuff, but have ourselves a good 'ol time while doing so! And who knows, maybe this deep dive into Mary Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation' will inspire you to ALSO embark on your own attachment healing journey. That's my hope, at least!

xo – Chelsea