{John Bowlby

By Holly, Savannah, Alice and Kayleigh

John Bowlby’s theory has four main areas of focus; Safe Haven, Secure Base, Proximity Maintenance and Separation Distress.

Safe Haven is the primary caregiver; usually the mother or they key worker at school or nursery; that the child can rely on for comfort when needed.

The Secure Base is the reliable foundation for the child throughout their learning.

Proximity Maintenance is when then child wishes to explore the world but also needs to know that their Safe Haven is there for them. This may mean that they call them while they are away or if the parent is still close by they will continue to look back to ensure they are still there.

If when they look back, they are not there, they may experience

What is his theory?

Because of John Bowlby’s theory , we have key workers in nurseries and school settings. This helps children to have an attachment to one person both at home and at school. This is known as a safe haven and if a child doesn’t have a good bond with their primary caregiver at home then they have that sense of comfort at school instead.

How has it impacted on practice in settings?

Many assumed that if you are kind, honest, and respectful you will have kind, honest, and respectful children and visa versa if you are rude, liar, and disrespectful you will have children that are the same way.

But another theorist called Harris believed that children's peers affect children's behaviours not their parents

Many believed the way you act depend on you genes.

Criticisms of the theory.