It’s the American holiday called Mother’s Day, a time to let Mom know how much we appreciate all the little things she does to help us reach our potential. We’ll start with the reminder that “Mom” upside-down is “Wow.”
Of course, as much fun as Mom is, she also helps us in some pretty serious ways. (Keep your shirt on, Dad, we realize parenting isn’t all about Mom. But we’ll get to you next month.) In any case, maybe the following video will make a point about just how crucial that parent-child bond is to a child’s lifelong mental health:
Attachment is the primary process through which children develop self regulation. Unfortunately, as much as researchers know about the importance of secure attachment, many parents don’t know how to achieve it. Fortunately, it doesn’t need to be all that complicated.
We’re all genetically programmed to seek a secure relationship with a caregiver.
However, with our hectic lives and scattered extended families, we’re steeped in a society that may be more “child illiterate” than ever before. Many parents have no clue about what children need most.
This is crucial for development, because—as you’ll hear in the following video—”attachment influences how a child’s brain is structured and how many stress hormones their brain releases.”
We know more about children and development than any time in history, And yet, there’s a huge gap between what’s known and what’s practiced in most cultures.
This might be a good time to point out that no one is expecting mom to be perfect. Even when we try our best to practice what is known, we’re going to fall a bit short some of the time. Maybe even a lot of the time. Fortunately, UCLA Neuroscientist Dan Siegel has some positive perspective:
Children pick up on our positive intentions, even when we fall short, says Siegel. (Whew!) That’s a relief to this less-than-perfect mother.
Here’s to a happy Mother’s Day, moms. Wow.
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