Meghan Arellano

ECE 252 FALL 2014

October 4, 2014
ATTACHMENT OBSERVATION
Introduction
Part A
1. Give a description of gender and age of the specific child observed (must be between 9
and 30 months), as well as setting (place and size of the group) and length of time
observing. (5 points)
The child was a girl, two years and three months (twenty seven months). She was in an indoor
classroom/daycare. On one side there were large wooden tables where the children sat for lunch
and on the other side there was the play area with a wooden play ground and an area for naps.
There were nine children, including the girl being observed, all together along with three
teachers and Grandpa, who came to get the girl. The whole exchange took about twenty minutes.
2. Write an objective observation of either arrival or departure time. (10 points)
When I got there, the child was playing with a toy cashier box. Child continued to play with the
box with Grandpa. Grandpa says, Lets go change your diaper so we can go home. Child says,
No. Grandpa asks, Wheres the baby? and child points to doll on the floor. Child runs over to
the playground and begins to climb it. She squeals when Grandpa pokes her through the wooden

bars. Grandpa pulls her out from the playground and carries her to the bathroom.

Part B - Base the following answers on your objective observation (Part A/2) of the childs
interaction with their parent. (This is your interpretation of the objective observation.)
1. What attachment promoting behaviors do you see the child displaying? (5 points)
Child kept running away from Grandpa to play with the toys but she never stopped him from
tickling her and playing with her. Child kept saying no, when grandpa told her it was time to go
home but if Grandpa played with the toys, the girl would play with those toys too.
2.

How does the parent respond? (5 points)

Grandpa said, Yes, were going to change you. But then would let child play a little while
longer on the cashier box and the playground.
3.

How does the caregiver respond? (5 points)

The caregivers were sitting down with the other children at the tables, helping them with lunch.
One of the teachers tells her from the table to show her Grandpa her picture that she had painted
earlier that day.
4.

Can you tell how the parent feels about the childs attachment to the caregiver? (5

points)
Grandpa responds to the teacher that the child has a lot of pictures hanging on the wall at home.
Part C - Base your answers on your objective observation (Part A/2) of the childs
interaction with the caregiver. (This is your interpretation of the objective observation.)
1.

What attachment-promoting behaviors do you see the child displaying? (5 points)

When Grandpa carries her back to the classroom to say goodbye to the teachers and students,
child reaches out to the closest teacher. She says bye but doesnt let go of the teachers hand.

2.

What evidence of the attachment dance do you observe? (Caregiver promoting

attachment behavior.) (5 points)

The teacher holding her hand gently pulls her hand out of the childs grip and waves the childs
hand to say goodbye to the other children. Teacher then tells her that she can take her picture
home and after that, teacher tells grandpa of an incident that happened earlier that day where the
child fell but got up on her own and said Thank you after teacher kissed the scrape. Then she,
the teacher, says goodbye again to both Grandpa and child and child waves her hand on her own
to the teacher.
Part C
1.

How did you feel about this observation? (5 points)

I felt in the beginning, Grandpa was left on his own too long to get her. He let child take charge
and was not able to get the child to the bathroom faster for a change. After the change though,
the teacher came over to help and the girl didnt feel scared or sad because the teacher was there
to say, See you tomorrow.
2.

What advice might you give to the caregiver and/or parent? (5 points)

There were three teachers in the room, while Grandpa was trying to get his grandchild over to the
bathroom, one of the teacher should have gotten up from the tables and helped Grandpa soothe
the child enough to let them take her to the bathroom.