The Attachment Connection: Parenting a Secure & Confident Child Using the Science of Attachment Theory

Despite what some current child-development fads may claim, a child's future cognitive ability depends more on the emotional attunement between the parent and child than it does on cognitive stimulation, such as instructional flashcards or videos. Secure attachment gives kids a head start on development; they grow into well-adjusted, emotionally and psychologically stable, and resilient adults. This book looks at the biology of attachment theory: How does parent/child attunement affect the growth and development of the baby's brain and social and emotional functions?This book teaches parents to understand how their child's brain is developing at each stage of growth, how to foster social skills, and how attunement to their babies' needs offers parents the basic building blocks to raise a healthy, securely attached child. By understanding the role of secure attachment and affect regulation in development, parents of children age birth to 5 will learn how to create a secure environment so that their child can grow into their fullest potential.

About the Author :
Ruth P. Newton, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in attachment and affect regulation in the developing child. She is also the supervising psychologist for Child and Mental Health Services at St. Vincent de Paul Village, a homeless rehabilitation center in downtown San Diego, and a training supervisor for master and doctoral-level interns. Newton is on the advisory board for the Attachment Institute at the University of California, San Diego, and is a member of the Technical and Professional Advisory Committee for the First 5 Commission of San Diego, an organization that funds programming for children five years of age and younger and their families. She works with children and adults in a private practice in La Jolla, CA, and is a longtime consultant for SAY San Diego's Extended Day Childcare program. She is a contributing author to Reader's Guide to Affect Regulation and Neurobiology and Play Therapy for Very Young Children.

Review :
"[Ruth Newton] has written a valuable book..." --Library Journal At last! Newton's Attachment Connection takes attachment and neuroscience into the mainstream of parenting and clinical practice, bringing clarity and insight to the often misunderstood world of family bonds. Using a sensitive combination of informative vignettes, lucid explanations, and developmental milestones, she deftly illuminates the nature of the bond that develops between parents and their babies and the profound influence which this bond will have on a baby's ability to form secure attachments. As a therapist and academic, Newton's comprehensive knowledge of the socio-emotional development of children shines through with intelligence, passion, humor, and sensitivity. --Sir Richard Bowlby Bt., president of the Centre for Child Mental Health in London, UK Drawing on the latest scientific research and her extensive clinical experience, Newton has written a practical guide for parents who seek to foster an attachment bond with their young children (infants through three years of age). Since a secure attachment forms the foundation for children's later social and emotional development, this is must read book for parents. --Charles E. Schaefer, PhD, professor of psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ, and cofounder and director emeritus of the Association for Play Therapy