Why Do Children Always Cling to Their Mothers—And How Should Mothers Respond?

Often, mothers ask: Why are children so attached to their mothers? I can't leave even for a moment, and they cry loudly at the

Often, mothers ask: Why are children so attached to their mothers? I can’t leave even for a moment, and they cry loudly at the door when I go to the bathroom?

Today, let’s talk about the psychology behind this.

Why are children so attached to their mothers?

1. Infants have an innate desire to connect with others

This starts with the innate “relationality” of human beings. From birth, we are a social existence. Compared to the offspring of other creatures,human infants have virtually no survival capabilities at birth.

Newborns cannot forage for food, cannot regulate their own biological states and rhythms, cannot move freely, and cannot avoid dangers in their surroundings.

Therefore, the more infants can attract strong adults to respond better and faster, the greater their chances of survival. “Evolutionary” selection has made infants relationship-oriented, born for relationships.

Infants, starting from a few weeks after birth, can quite accurately recognize and remember their mother’s appearance, scent, and voice. They are more likely to develop preferences for these stimuli and strive to approach their caregivers. When this proximity is disrupted, they show strong reactions (crying, trying to have physical contact with the caregiver, grabbing the caregiver) to seek to be close to the caregiver again.(Crying, trying to have physical contact with the caregiver, grabbing the caregiver), in order to get close to the caregiver again.