The science behind attachment parenting

Expert Aimee Wheeler, explains the science behind the attachment theory and how attachment early on in life will biologically create pathways that will allow for healthy relationships and interactions later on. Find out everything you have ever wants to know about what is really going on in your baby's head.
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The science behind attachment parenting

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What happens in the brain when a child securely attaches to their caregiver? It's important to remember that the human being is one of the most immature beings at birth; which means that their brain is severely underdeveloped compared to other animals. It makes them exceptionally dependent on their caregivers for their safety and security. Think of your brain as an intricate system of roadways and pathways. Think of your drive to work, for example. There are a bunch of different ways you can get to work, but you consistently choose the same way over and over again, until it almost becomes automatic. You get in the car, and you realize you are at work. You are there already. The same thing is happening when your baby is having relational experiences with you. It is consistently making a pathway, a little bit deeper, a little bit more of a natural groove. It forms the way that they relate to other people and how they are expecting to be treated by other people later on in life.

Expert Aimee Wheeler, explains the science behind the attachment theory and how attachment early on in life will biologically create pathways that will allow for healthy relationships and interactions later on. Find out everything you have ever wants to know about what is really going on in your baby's head.

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Aimee Wheeler, PsyD

Therapist

When her son was born, Aimee found herself in uncharted waters. She knew she wanted to be a different type of parent than her parents had been. After years of self-exploration, she felt she had healed a lot of her childhood emotional wounds and that she could be a good mother but she didn't really know how to parent differently. She went to Mommy and Me classes, breastfeeding groups, you name it, searching to fill a void she initially could not identify. They were all helpful but not what she felt she was longing for. She realized she was looking for a safe place to really talk about the challenges she was facing every day. Unfortunately, it seemed that none of the forums she found as a new mother were able to provide that. She vowed then to create such a place for parents, and the idea for Parenting Discovery Center was born.

Her educational background in psychology had nurtured her tremendous curiosity about the impact and importance of infant attachment. Her research in this area had equipped her with a conscious sieve to help evaluate the overwhelming amount of parenting advice available. What she found was that at a time of total vulnerability, parents are often taught parenting techniques that cause them to unwittingly undermine this important and essential bond. 

The Center provides a safe and supportive environment for exploring the emotions and challenges faced by new parents. They are also here to help peoople understand the importance of attachment and help parents build a conscious bond with their baby based upon their individual family's values and lifestyle. 

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