Poor parent-child bonding ‘hampers learning’

Writing for the BBC, Hannah Richardson reports on new Sutton Trust research uncovering the importance of the emotional bond a child secures with its parents.

The emotional bond a child secures with its parents has a greater impact on its education than previously thought, a report suggests.

The Sutton Trust study says children’s early attachment to parents has far-reaching consequences for their ability to speak, learn and think.

Parents who are insecure themselves find it harder to provide children with security, it says.

And the report calls for more help so parents can develop such crucial bonds.

The study focuses on the application of the theory of attachment – a key theory in child development and psychology.

This says the degree to which children are secure and resilient as they grow up depends on their own early experiences with their mothers and fathers and how they have bonded.

But the report from the Sutton Trust education charity, entitled Baby Bonds, makes the case that it has an important impact on children’s future educational chances as well as their emotional well-being.

Read the full article here.