Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by mrsdragon
Becoming Attached: Unfolding the Mystery of the Infant-Mother Bond and Its Impact on Later Life by Robert Karen
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised at how readable Karen's writing style is. The book is essentially a slow walk through the history of attachment history, from the beginnings of the field through the early 90s. I appreciated Karen's care in pointing out the potentially racist, classist, and sexist pitfalls in the work and either acknowledges them or explains the intent.
After finishing the book, many of the specific studies and details are blurred but the key points are easy to articulate:
*Babies need loving care in order to form secure attachments
*These secure attachments provide a "home base" from which to safely explore their world
Perhaps the most disquieting concept for me was the push for children to stay at home with a parent at least until their first birthday. In a country where 3 months of unpaid maternity leave is considered generous, my heart breaks for all the parents and children who get stuck between the harsh realities of the world and what the experts think is best for babies. Karen is sympathetic to this plight but there are no easy answers.
I would love to see another book covering what has happened in the field in the last 20 years to see what new insights have been gained.
After finishing the book, many of the specific studies and details are blurred but the key points are easy to articulate:
*Babies need loving care in order to form secure attachments
*These secure attachments provide a "home base" from which to safely explore their world
Perhaps the most disquieting concept for me was the push for children to stay at home with a parent at least until their first birthday. In a country where 3 months of unpaid maternity leave is considered generous, my heart breaks for all the parents and children who get stuck between the harsh realities of the world and what the experts think is best for babies. Karen is sympathetic to this plight but there are no easy answers.
I would love to see another book covering what has happened in the field in the last 20 years to see what new insights have been gained.