Positive view of oneself (worthy of love) and positive view of others (accepting and loving).  In a child-parent relationship, the child is not stressed when the parent leaves the room.

Secure Attachment

In contrast to parent-child relationships, both partners may rely on each other to fulfill attachment needs in adult relationships. Thus, attachment and caregiving processes are highly interrelated in adults. Adult attachment styles develop along two dimensions: attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance.

Attachment Styles in Adults

People with this attachment style have a negative view of themselves and others. Doubt themselves and others when it comes to their own abilities and their partner's abilities.

Fearful-Avoidant (Disorganized) Attachment 

People with this attachment style have a negative view of themself but have a positive view of others.  They doubt themselves but trust fully in others.

Preoccupied (Anxious) Attachment

People with this attachment style view themselves as worthy of love but view other people as untrustworthy.  Summary: positive view of self, negative view of others

Dismissive (Avoidant) Attachment 

- Dismissive (Avoidant) Attachment
- Fearful -Avoidant (Disorganized) Attachment
- Preoccupied (Anxious) Attachment
- Secure attachment 


University of California, Davis

Pepperdine University

Columbia University

Through mindfulness practices, parents are able to not only improve their own health and deal with the stress of being a parent but also improve their relationship with their children.  With their parents learning mindfulness practices, children are able to form more secure attachment styles and improve their own behavior.

Mindfulness in Parents

Attachment theory is a psychological, evolutionary, and ethological theory concerning relationships between humans. This theory focuses on understanding the functions of a close bond with an attachment figure such as a parent or spouse. It was formulated by psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby.

Attachment Theory

unknown. (n.d.). Apa Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association. Retrieved November 2, 2021, from https://dictionary.apa.org/attachment-style. 

APA Definition of Attachment Styles - Each Attachment Linked

A mother's ability to regulate and appropriately respond to their child's needs  helps create a healthy mother-child attachment and helps the child grow developmentally.  Mindfulness has helped mothers navigate the stressors of parenthood and through them learning mindfulness techniques, they were able to change the behavior of their children through affect regulation. It is important to note that while the focus is on mothers, father-child attachment is important too.

How Mindfulness as a Parent Can Change Attachment

The MBCP program is based off of the popular Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.  MBCP is specific to all things parenthood as it uses mindfulness-based practices through pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenting to promote a healthy family life.

Mindfulness-Based Parenthood and Parenting - The MBCP Program

Studies have supported the idea that mindfulness-based interventions can reduce stress and increase social support in and between immigrant families.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions Amongst Immigrant Parents

While parents are often the primary caregivers, a caregiver is anyone that helps an individual with day-to-day tasks.  Caregiving relationships outside of the traditional married mother-father relationship include:
- Coparenting
- Educators

Caregiving

Parenting or caring for children with: 
- Special Needs 
- Autism

Taking Care of Children with Additional Needs

Attachment Styles

The research highlighted the importance of parental attachment and its association with unhealthy eating patterns in children and adults.

The relationship between attachment and high-caloric food (HCF) consumption.

- ESA may elicit a powerful biological and emotional desire to care for a dependent being
- creating symbols of safety in the absence of other attachment figures
- nonjudgmental and consistently available 

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