Another variable that must be considered in tending to have a higher well-being later in life is social interactions with peers. I think that a child can have a secure attachment with the mother or both parents and if he or she does not have a positive environment among his or her peers then he or she will forge a weak identity. Children that have this secure attachment with their parents will definitely tend to be more socially able than those who don't, and positive social relations with their peers will promote a better adjustment. I feel like I had a secure attachment to my mother all throughout my childhood but I was shy and I did not always cope with stress well so therefore I did not have such a successful transition into adulthood. Most children who are securely attached to their parents learn to socially relate to the world through this attachment, and this is what could cause the correlation.
I agree that environment plays a large role in one's subsequent identity moving forward into adulthood. I think it's important to note that there is a fine line between secure attachment to a mother and full reliance. If one is conceivably "too securely attached" to his/her mother, this child may grow up rejecting others around them, disputing the idea that securely attached children are more likely to be positive leaders in society.
I mostly agree with the two above posts, the only thing I'm questioning is the statement about the possibility of children having a positive relationship with their parents but a negative one with their peers. A child's later relationships will be dependent on the relationship model they experienced in the critical period which is the relationship with their parents. If they have a positive relationship with their parents and were securely attached, it is highly likely that they will always have positive relationships. Therefore, their relationships with their peers should be positive too. Even if this isn't true, I don't think a negative outside of the home environment is a strong enough contender to fight against a positive in home environment. --carnegie scottie
I definitely agree with you. The ability to form relationships undoubtedly grows from the child's connection with his or her parents. It is not out of the ordinary to suggest that if the child has a good relationship with peers, he or she has a good relationship with the parents. But I ask this, could the child turn to peers to form relationships when the parents are negligent? That is, the child attaches well to peers but poorly attaches to his less-than-thrilled parents?
