Gather Around the Children

Abstract

The latest research in the neurosciences confirms what many mothers have long known. Children are born to bond. They develop through intense emotional relationships with the beloved people around them. Children have an innate need to connect deeply with other people, and they long for a sense of moral and spiritual purpose. These are human imperatives. When they are not met, a child's potential is stifled. Children's needs are best met through nurturing communities in which mothers, fathers, and other adult caregivers spend ample time with children, telling stories and sharing traditions--communities that articulate a clear and inspiring vision of a good and meaningful life and then lovingly help children bring that vision to pass in their own lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)