Page 87 - Meeting with Children Book

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years of age the same stressors are important
but not as significant. Children do remain
sensitive to attachment distress across
childhood.
3. Equal or near equal sharing of time is not the
norm in intact families. A focus on time alone
as a factor will not guarantee best
attachment.
4. Overnights are not associated with secure
attachment with a secondary attachment
figure. An infant spending two – three times a
week is supported as an important factor (as
long as it is warm, sensitive caring and the
parents are not exchanging the child in
conflict). Frequency is less important for
school aged children but consistency and
quality of caregiving is essential.
5. Overnights away from the primary caregiver
during the first year or two of life are not
supported.
6. Frequent transitions and locations of care is
disorienting to a young child, but at the same
time there is no support for long periods of
time away from a caregiver such as one
month/one month as it is thought that the
child experiences an ongoing sense of loss of
the other parent. If this time arrangement is
chosen by an adolescent, it may be more
reasonable.
7. Minimizing a child’s exposure to interpersonal
stress is very important. Domestic violence for
instance, increases the potential of a
disorganized attachment where a child is