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Social & Emotional Development
Developing Trust & Emotional Security
WiseTip: SE-TRU-M2436-E01A

Have photos of familiar adults and caregivers available for your toddler. Name familiar people in the photos and talk about who they are and what they are doing. This can also be done when the familiar caregiver is not present to reassure your toddler of their return.

24-36 months
Environment
WHY IT MATTERS

Having consistent caregivers is crucial in helping a baby develop strong attachments. A stable network of adults (including infant

educarers

Educarers - Educarers facilitate learning and development of children aged birth to three. Educarers accommodate and respond to the needs of young children, by providing a secure environment and implementing a developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculum through respectful, responsive, and reciprocal interactions. Educarers promote trusting and respectful relationships with young children.1

1. ECDA. (2013). Early years development framework for child care centres. (2013). Singapore: Early Childhood Development Agency.

) with consistent caregiving methods can provide responsive care to help the child form secure attachments.
1
  1. Goossens, F., & Van IJzendoorn, M. (1990). Quality of Infants' Attachments to Professional Caregivers: Relation to Infant-Parent Attachment and Day-Care Characteristics. Child Development, 61(3), 832-837. doi:10.2307/1130967

In the absence of a caregiver, transition objects sometimes help the child alleviate anxiety if the items are associated with the caregiver to whom the child is securely attached.

2
  1. Passman, R. H. (1976). Arousal reducing properties of attachment objects: Testing the functional limits of the security blanket relative to the mother. Developmental Psychology, 12, 468-469. (Level III)
In one study of children above three years old, researchers examined the use of security blankets during a paediatric examination.
3
  1. Ybarra, G. J., Passman, R. H., & Eisenberg, C. S. (2000). The Presence of Security Blankets or Mothers (or Both) Affects Distress During Paediatric Examinations; Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 322-330.
 Children accompanied by a caregiver during the examination were less distressed than when they had a security blanket with them during the examination. However, these findings are inconclusive as some cultures which have consistent caregivers present did not use comfort objects with children.

A study conducted by Hong & Townes (1976) found that around 50% of American children and approximately 20% of Korean children developed an attachment to a blanket or an equivalent type of primary transitional object. The research concluded that cultural differences in child-rearing practices influence both the incidence of infants’ attachment to inanimate objects and perhaps the choice of attachment objects.

4
  1. Hong, K. M & Townes, B. (1976). Infants' Attachment to Inanimate Objects: A Cross-Cultural Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 15 (1): 49 61. doi:10.1016/S0002-7138(09)62260-3. ISSN 0890-8567.
When child is in secure attachment with caregiver, a security object is secondary. However, it can prove useful during transition when child is going to another caregiver before an attachment relationship is established.