Some nurseries are now running parenting classes on attachment. So how should nursery practitioners, who lack clinical experience, broach such an important subject? Hannah Crown reports.

According to the research, attachment is a survival instinct embedded in our genes. Secure attachments are now widely understood to be necessary for a child to develop successfully.

Jake Spencer, clinical director of Oxford Parent Infant Project, says attachment is a 'biological bond between an infant and a caregiver, running across all species.' She adds, 'Crying is designed to show the baby is in distress; it is a way of keeping safe and not being left behind. If the baby has continual experience of having parent who comes (when they cry), this helps them learn to regulate their own emotions.'

While attachment is the meat and drink of an early years day job, some practitioners have realised the potential benefits of teaching parents the basic principles as well.

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