Attachment theory

I received a new magazine in my letter box yesterday - a free one. It is called Natural Parenting. One of the articles has caught my eye and it is on "Attachment Parenting".

Over the years there has been all sorts of theories on what you should or shouldn't do with babies and bringing up children. This one makes incredible sense to me and I am wondering how this applies to the elderly in our care and the diseases that inhabit their body's.

Reaseach states that children who are emotionally secure are "more enthusiastic, persistent and cooperative and tend to be less fearful, oppositional, angry and are more joyous" They are also more likely to be "more popular with peers, more soically competent and more capable of empathy" and "they are less likely to be targetted by bullies".

On the other hand insecure children "seek attention in oblique or irritating ways and are more likely to grow up clingy and hypersensitive or aggressive and disruptive"

Now the article has a lot more in this of course but I have long believed that what happens to us in our childhood and how we learnt to react or respond to these issues has a major impact on who were are as adults in health and wellness.

My question has been, what actually makes us sick? Why is that some people fly through life with little or no illness and others are continually unwell? Why is it that some people are more resilient than others? Why is it that some people get dementia in a family and others don't?"

Because I am unable to answer these questions, I have listened to people's stories - their life story. This is where the clues lie. This is the clue to their behaviour.

In my first book I talked more about this but essentially it is not what happens to us that causes disease, it is the way we react and respond the the things that happen to us. If a person does not have the skills, confidence or tools to cope, manage or rise above each challenge that is set them they will become sick - either mentally or physically.

Now I know it is a lot more complex than that but I worry for all these young children who are put into day care at such a young age. Are we indeed setting them up to emotionally and physically unwell adults? Food for thought dont you think.