What is the bond between parents and child?
The intense attachment that develops between parents and their children is called their bond. Bonding is the process through which this bond is formed. It makes parents want to give their children all their love and affection, and it creates an intense desire within them to protect and care for their children.
Relationships involve a combination of feelings, behaviors, and expectations. Bonding lays the foundation for all these things and gives the child the first model of what healthy relationships should look like. Plus, it leads to a sense of security and fosters the development of positive self-esteem that will serve your little one well throughout her life.
Bonding is key in the normal healthy growth and development of a child. Most babies are ready to start the bonding process right from birth. Parents, on the other hand, may feel a sense of attachment to their little ones immediately or this feeling can take some time to manifest itself.
At the end of the day, though, bonding is a process that takes place over an extended period after birth. In most cases, it is a by-product of caregiving that most people may not even realize is happening until they are suddenly overwhelmed by a deep sense of love for their little ones.
Why is bonding important?
As mentioned earlier, bonding is essential for babies. Here are some of the reasons why it is so important:
- Bonding creates a strong sense of attachment between parents and children
- It promotes the development of connections between brain cells that are critical for learning
- It is essential in the self-discovery process of the child. Through bonding, your child will develop a sense of who they are and how they deal with their feelings and emotions
- It triggers the nurturing instinct in parents, which makes them want to love, protect, and care for their child
- It provides a sense of security to the child which is essential in their growth and development
- Bonding models what normal healthy relationships should look like for the child
- It lays the foundation for the development of positive self-esteem in the child
Understand how your baby bonds with you
For many new parents, it can take a while before they can fully understand how their little one bonds with them. It is important to remember that every interaction you have with your child is part of the bonding process:
- Touch: This is the earliest language that babies understand and respond to. They enjoy skin-to-skin contact, which is not only soothing to them but also promotes healthy growth and development.
- Eye-to-eye contact: This provides meaningful non-verbal communication cues at close range.
- Facial expressions: As your baby grows, they will start to imitate your facial expressions and gestures.
- Following moving objects with their eyes.
- Reaction to human voices: Babies prefer human voices and will try to vocalize them as their first efforts at communication. Your baby will enjoy listening to your conversations, and they will also enjoy listening to you talk about various activities and describing the environment to them.
Final Thoughts
Bonding with your baby is probably one of the best things about caring for your little one. The fact that there is this tiny person who loves you unconditionally, and who you find that you almost can’t live without them despite only having known them for a short while, is one of the most rewarding experiences you can ever have as a parent. This is at the very core of why bonding is such an important part of raising a healthy child.
