Kids with strong bonds to parents make better friends, can adapt in relationships

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-06/uoic-kws061914.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 19-Jun-2014
Contact: Phyllis Picklesimer
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Kids with strong bonds to parents make better friends, can adapt in relationships

URBANA, Ill. – What social skills does a three-year-old bring to interactions with a new peer partner? If he has strong bonds to his parents, the child is likely to be a positive, responsive playmate, and he'll be able to adapt to a difficult peer by asserting his needs, according to a new University of Illinois study published in Developmental Psychology.

"Securely attached children are more responsive to suggestions or requests made by a new peer partner. A child who has experienced a secure attachment relationship with caregivers is likely to come into a new peer relationship with positive expectations," said Nancy McElwain, a U of I professor of human development.

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"But don't confuse a difficult temperament with an insecure attachment. You may have a fussy infant, but if you respond to him sensitively, he will develop a strong bond with his parents and will likely go on to enjoy positive, close relationships with others," she said.