Age

An attachment is formed between a primary caregiver and child during the first few years of life. It occurs during the course of hundreds of simple interactions between caregiver and child during routine daily care. The infant comes into the world virtually helpless and must rely on a caregiver to get even the most basic needs met, including comforting, feeding, changing, and repositioning. Each time the infant indicates a need (e.g., hunger, thirst, fear) through crying or some other means, and the caregiver responds, an interactional pattern is completed. See more on this under Trust Cycle.

From the interactions that take place during the Trust Cycle phase, the infant is learning how to socially interact with those around him or her. First, the infant focuses on the primary caregiver. After time, the infant is also able to form interaction patterns with other significant caregivers, typically another parent, siblings, or other family members.

Here are the primary social interactions that are occurring during the first few years of life:

Birth-6 months

Bond is forming from the trust cycle
- Infant mimics caregiver's behaviors but doesn't understand them (i.e., will smile back but doesn't understand what that smile means socially)

6-12 Months

Infant is learning to use these behaviors in a purposeful way (i.e., behaviors now take on meaning)

12-18 Months

Infant tests behaviors, practices behaviors, extends behaviors
- The start of the terrible twos as the infant becomes his or her own person (i.e., differentiation)

18 months-3 years of age

Behaviors are become set
- Actual changes occur in the brain solidifying them