1.4 fc

1. Unit 1.4 Promote children’s
emotional well-being

2. Starter Activity
Time: 15 mins
• In pairs, discuss what you think you would need in order to
survive.
• Can you put this under five headings?
• Then list what you think a baby or a small child would need to
survive.
• Are the lists similar or different?

3. Learning outcomes
• Identify Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
• Explain theoretical perspectives on emotional well-being
• Research a theorist making links to their theory in practice
• Explain the process of bonding, attachment, developing secure
relationships
• Evaluate the impact of secure relationships on a child’s emotional
well-being

4. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Using your laminated cards put these hierarchy needs in order
Love and
belongingness needs Biological and
Physiological
Safety needs
Esteem needs
Self-Actualization
needs
Cognitive needs

5. Maslow’s hierarchy
of needs
Cognitive needs
How do the lists that you
made in the Starter
activity fit into this
hierarchy?
LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional
well-being 1.1
Esteem needs
Self-
actualisation
Love and belonging
Safety needs
Physiological needs

6. LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional
well-being 1.1
• Children’s emotional development and well-being are closely linked
to both social and behavioural development.
• If a child is emotionally stable and secure, they are more likely to
develop socially – which in turn will have a positive impact on the
emotional and the behavioural development.
• How safe and secure a child feels impacts on all areas of
development, but particularly on their emotional well-being.
Maslow recognised the importance of this when creating his
hierarchy of needs.
• Emotional and social development strengthen a child’s happiness
and well-being. The first relationships that they form will have an
impact on the rest of their lives.
Introduction

7. LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional
well-being 1.1
Attachment theorists
• John Bowlby recognised the importance of the child’s first relationships
and developed the theory of attachment. He identified four characteristics
of attachment: proximity maintenance, safe haven, secure base and
separation distress. http://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.html
• Mary Ainsworth developed Bowlby’s theories further. She focused on the
distress of the child and developed the strange situation procedure to
identify a child’s reactions to a parent after being left with a stranger.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsewNrHUHU
• Harry Harlow experimented with monkeys and stated that they must form
their attachments during the first year of life.
• http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Harry+Harlow&FORM=R5FD15#vi
ew=detail&mid=3CFEDB5BBA958DA2AD8A3CFEDB5BBA958DA2AD8A
• James Robertson studied the psychological effects on children who were
separated from their mothers, for example, through hospital stays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s14Q-_Bxc_U
Theoretical perspectives on emotional well-being

8. LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional
well-being 1.1
Time: 15 mins
You will be given a theorist to research
Prepare a PowerPoint presentation or a poster to explain their
theory and its relevance to the emotional well-being of children.
• How has it impacted on practice in settings?
• Consider any criticisms of the theory.
• Give your presentation to the rest of the class.

9. LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional
well-being 1.1, 1.3
Time: 15 mins
• You researched a theorist on attachment and learnt about
others by sharing your presentations with the rest of the class.
• Discuss each of the theories and critically review them.
• What are their strengths and weaknesses in relation to
childcare?

10. LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional
well-being 1.2
• Bonding with a baby is vitally important, as we have already
recognised. It meets the physiological and safety needs on
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. A bond can be created through
the day-to-day routines such as bathing, feeding etc.
• The senses are important in developing a relationship with a
baby through touch, eye contact and use of voice.
• A secure relationship is developed through more emotional
connections. This can still be through the regular routines
involved in bonding, but the tie is built through non-verbal
cues. The quality of these cues will determine the quality of
the secure relationship.
Bonding, attachment and developing secure relationships

11. LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional
well-being 1.1, 1.3
Time: 15 mins
• In groups, discuss each of the four theorists (Bowlby, Ainsworth,
Harlow or Robertson) and relate their theories to practice in your
setting.
• Identify examples that you have observed in your settings. Do they
illustrate the importance of bonding and secure relationships?
• Referring to the worksheet provided, discuss the scenarios and
relate them to Bowlby’s four characteristics of attachment.
• Critically review each scenario and suggest how you might provide
support for children’s emotional well-being in settings.

12. LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional
well-being 1.1, 1.3
Time: 15 mins
Bowlby
• What are the four characteristics of Bowlby’s attachment theory?
• Explain what they mean and consider examples of these characteristics from
placement.
Ainsworth
• There are eight parts to Ainsworth’s ‘strange situation’ – what are they?
• Consider what Ainsworth’s theory tells us about the importance of the secure
relationship on a child’s emotional well-being.
Harlow
• What can we learn from Harlow’s experiments with monkeys about the
importance of the secure relationship?
Robertson
• What impact has James and Joyce’s research had on practice, especially
hospital practice?

13. LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional
well-being 1.3
• There are a number of cases of ‘feral’ children. These are children
who have not had the opportunity to form attachments and not
developed the accepted social skills.
• The impact of secure relationships on a child’s emotional well-being
can be evaluated by studying cases where children have lacked
those initial early attachments.
• First relationships usually last for life and form the basis for their
later life. Early attachments provide security and stability, which
provide the child with the confidence to develop and explore the
world.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEnkY2iaKis
The impact of secure relationships on a child’s emotional well-being

14. LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional
well-being 1.2, 1.3
Time: 15 mins
• Research the case of Genie, the ‘wild child’, in preparation for
the next lesson.
• Make notes on how this case relates to the process of bonding
and attachment and the child’s well-being.
• What can be learnt from this case about the importance of
developing secure relationships?

15. LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional
well-being 1.2, 1.3
Time: 15 mins
Choose one of the following aspects and list activities that you, as a
practitioner, could provide to encourage the development of this
aspect within the child:
• Dispositions and attitudes
• Self-confidence and self-esteem
• Making relationships
• Behaviour and self-control
• Self-care
• Sense of community.
Consider how these aspects support a child’s well-being.

16. Learning outcomes
LO1. Understand children’s needs in relation to emotional well-being
• Explain theoretical perspectives on emotional well-being
• Explain the process of bonding, attachment, developing secure
relationships
• Evaluate the impact of secure relationships on a child’s emotional
well-being

17. Summary: plenary activities
1. Consider the importance of bonding and forming attachments for the
child’s development. Can you think of any negative issues?
2. At your setting find out what you can about the role of the ‘key person’
in preparation for the next session.
3. Interview a key person and ask what their roles and responsibilities are.
4. Prepare some notes on the role of the key person for the next session.