Attachment parenting and secure attachment: exploring the mother’s experiences and relationship with the child
Authors
McCarthy, Terri
Issue Date
2017
Degree
Higher Diploma in Arts in Psychology
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
Items in Esource are protected by copyright. Previously published items are made available in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/copyright holder.
Abstract
The aim of this research was to explore Attachment Parenting and secure attachment taking a phenomenological approach, with the use of in-depth analysis to discover the meaning given to the lived parenting experiences of mothers with young toddlers. Four one to one semi-structured interviews were conducted, throughout which the participants were asked seven main questions, of which six were based on lived experiences, and one being an interpretative question. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore the lived parenting experiences of the participants. The audio files were transcribed verbatim, from which tables of themes were created across several stages. A Final table was created, followed by the creation of a narrative extract. Findings of the analysis suggest that the meaning of parenting is different for each person. Mothers feel the weight of responsibility, and experience stressful periods. However, the most important thing to the mother is the child’s happiness. Participants expressed that providing and caring for a child, allowing the child to explore the surrounding environment, as well as being physically present and having a strong Mother-Infant relationship when the child is young, allows the child develop a secure attachment.