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4-2 Short Paper: Child-Parent Relationships
Brynne Nicholas
Department of Psychology, Southern New Hampshire University
PSY 319: Child/Adolescent Social Development
Instructor Michele Mortensen
November 20, 2022
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The child-parent relationship changes as children develop socially from infancy to
childhood and adolescence. Whether it be negative or positive, the relationship of a child to his
or her parent and/or caregiver is very important to the development of that child. In many
instances, the manner in which a child's parent or caregiver reacts and responds to his or her
needs will provide the foundation for the type of relationship that the child will form with the
parent or caregiver.
During infancy, a child is completely dependent on his or her parents or caregiver to
provide him or her with the necessities essential for the child's survival as well as for receiving
love, compassion, and positive attention. An infant will then develop a type of attachment to his
or her parents or caregivers that is based on how the child’s needs were met as well as how the
child’s parents or caregivers respond and react to the child’s needs. This attachment can either
