According to attachment theory, building a strong attachment in infancy and early childhood with a primary caregiver is critical for social and psychological development. With a healthy attachment, children develop an intrinsic sense of security and trust, which is important for self-confidence and emotional growth. An attachment approach to parenting creates this all-important bond between parent and child.

Positive attachment provides children with an anchor. When they are cast out into the world, this anchor gives them the security they need to freely explore and learn about their social environment without losing their way. It keeps them from getting lost in a confusing sea of behavioral problems, addictions, promiscuity, school failure and criminal activity. The process of attachment is instinctual and begins immediately. However, there are a few things you can do to strengthen the natural course of attachment which involves:

* Proximity

* Responsiveness

* Sensitivity

Proximity: Keep Baby Close

Newborns come into the world with a basic need for close human contact. The obvious and functional reason for this is their vulnerability and helplessness. Without someone to feed, love and protect them, babies would not survive. Newborns are genetically programmed to communicate and draw their mothers or primary caregivers close to them mainly through crying, cooing and smiling.

Babies will attach to whoever attends to their needs and cares for them the most. This is partially why even children who are abused will still want to stay with an abusive parent. Therefore, the quality of attachment is key. When parents does not respond to a baby's cries or leaves a baby alone to cry it out in a locked room, it compromises the quality of attachment. However, babies who are kept close and responded to immediately, soon learn that they can trust their caretakers. This in turn, creates a sense of comfort and security, which develops into self-confidence.

Ways to Keep Baby Close:

* Nurse your Baby

Nursing your baby right after birth and continuing to nurse for at least the first year is one of the best ways to form a strong bond with your baby. When your baby nurses, she is physically attached to you, but it also encourages emotional attachment. As she nurses, she can look up at you, maintain eye contact, babble and watch your reaction, as well as reach her hand out to touch you. Outside of the womb, a baby cannot get much closer to her mother

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