The parent's bond to the child

The Parent's Bond to the Child



The Parent's Bond to the Child

Introduction

Bonding is the strong attachment that develops between parents and their baby. It makes parents want to bless their baby with love and fondness and defend and nourish their little one. Bonding gets parents up in the middle of the night to feed their hungry baby and makes them attentive to the baby's cries.

Why Is Bonding Important?

Bonding is vital for a baby. Studies of baby monkeys who were given mannequin mothers at birth showed that, even when the mannequins were made of supple material and given formula to the baby monkeys, the kids were better socialized when they had experienced living with mothers to interact with. The baby monkeys with mannequin mothers were more likely to suffer from despair, as well as fail to thrive. Scientists suspect that lack of bonding in human babies can cause similar problems (Archard, 2003).

Most infants are ready to bond instantaneously. Parents, on the other hand, may have a blend of feeling. Some parents feel a strong attachment in the first minutes or days after their baby's birth. For other ones — particularly if the baby is adopted or has been put in intensive care — it may take a bit longer.

But bonding is a process, not something that takes place in minutes and not something that has to be limited to occur in a certain time period after birth. For a lot of parents, bonding is a byproduct of everyday care giving. You may not even know it's happening until you observe your baby's first smile and suddenly realize that you're filled with love and joy (Archard, 2003).

The Ways Babies Bond

When you're a new parent, it often takes a while to understand your newborn's true capabilities and all the ways you can interact:

Touch becomes an early language as infants respond to skin-to-skin contact. It's soothing for both you and your baby while promoting your baby's health and development.

Eye-to-eye contact provides communication which is more meaningful at close range.

Babies can see moving with their eyes.

Your baby tries — early on — to imitate your facial signs and gestures.

Making an Attachment

Bonding with your baby is one of the most pleasurable aspects of infant care. You can begin by cradling your baby and softly stroking him or her in different patterns. If you and your spouse both hold and touch your infant frequently, your little one will shortly get to know the difference between your touches. Each of you should also take the opportunity to be "skin to skin" with your baby by holding him or her against your own skin when feeding or cradling.

Babies, especially premature kids and those with health problems may react to infant massage. Because babies aren't as strong as older people, you'll need to massage your baby gently. Before trying out infant massage, be certain to educate yourself on correct methods by finding out the numerous publications, videos, and websites on the ...