--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A child’s sense of secure attachment—this…" description: "\"“A child’s sense of secure attachment—this idea that I, in all my glory, as well as all my stinkiness and imperfection, am loved and accepted—allows hi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/susan-david-28829_children_a-child-s-sense-of-secure-attachment-thi_2026096.jpg" --- # A child’s sense of secure attachment—this idea that I, in… ![“A child’s sense of secure attachment—this idea that I, in all my glory, as well as all my stinkiness and imperfection, am loved and accepted—allows him not only to take risks in the world but also to take risks with his own emotions. Knowing he will not be invalidated, rejected, punished, or…” quote by Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/susan-david-28829_children_a-child-s-sense-of-secure-attachment-thi_2026096.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/susan-david-28829_children_a-child-s-sense-of-secure-attachment-thi_2026096.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/susan-david-28829_children_a-child-s-sense-of-secure-attachment-thi_2026096.jpg) > ““A child’s sense of secure attachment—this idea that I, in all my glory, as well as all my stinkiness and imperfection, am loved and accepted—allows him not only to take risks in the world but also to take risks with his own emotions. Knowing he will not be invalidated, rejected, punished, or shamed for feeling whatever he feels, he can test out sadness, happiness, or anger and figure out how to manage or respond to each of these emotions in turn.”” [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Secure attachment gives children confidence to explore emotions without fear of rejection, fostering emotional learning and resilience. **In simple terms:** Secure attachment lets kids safely explore feelings. Key Takeaway Encourage safe emotional expression. Themes attachment emotion resilience growth learning Mood supportive reflective Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - parenting - education - therapy - child counseling - family dynamics Key Concepts psychology development emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - How can caregivers reinforce secure attachment daily? - What barriers prevent children from expressing emotions? A Different Perspective Children may still experience external invalidation despite secure attachment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attachment/) [Attachment Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attachment-idea-3473623/) [Child Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-sense-746203/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Emotions Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions-knowing-3696525/) [Risks Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risks-emotions-3696524/) ## Related quotes > [“The key to coping with questionable emotions is knowing that we are in control of them, and not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-segal/the-key-to-coping-with-questionable-emotions-is-knowing-that-we-are/) [Jeanne Segal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-segal/) > [“…the art of writing has for backbone some fierce attachment to an idea…. It is on the back of an idea, something believed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-art-of-writing-has-for-backbone-some-fierce-attachment-to-an-idea-2/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [As a child I always had a sense of social conditions and political situations. I think it had to do with the fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chapman/as-a-child-i-always-had-a-sense-of-social-conditions-and-political/) [Tracy Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chapman/) > [I'm a child myself, in the sense that I'm still looking. Children are fascinated by black holes and ask me questions. I find they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-m-a-child-myself-in-the-sense-that-i-m-still-looking-children-are/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Nurturing a child’s sense of personal worth and therefore hope and dreams for a wonderful future is perhaps the most important responsibility of every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wess-stafford/nurturing-a-child-s-sense-of-personal-worth-and-therefore-hope-and/) [Wess Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wess-stafford/) > [“Even as a child, I had a sense that I was two people; the one who experienced the trauma, the pain, the happiness, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-james-2/even-as-a-child-i-had-a-sense-that-i-was-two-people-the-one-who/) [P.D. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-james-2/) > [A child's sense of reality vs. fantasy can be a bit blurred at the preschool age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-amurri/a-child-s-sense-of-reality-vs-fantasy-can-be-a-bit-blurred-at-the/) [Eva Amurri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-amurri/) > [I mean that's really depressing man. Of course, the kids are freaking out. They watch cartoons and sit in front of the television and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-haines/i-mean-that-s-really-depressing-man-of-course-the-kids-are-freaking/) [Emily Haines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-haines/) > [ On this simple unit-system \[of building blocks\] ruled on the low table-top all these forms were combined by the child into imaginative patter. Design… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/on-this-simple-unit-system-of-building-blocks-ruled-on-the-low-table/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [Women are presented with a very narrow aspect of the female narrative. And now we live in a culture and a time where it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-marling/women-are-presented-with-a-very-narrow-aspect-of-the-female-narrative/) [Laura Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-marling/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Continue with whatever it is that you have been doing, except for attachment-abhorrence. If ‘we’ stay in our state of Pure Soul, attachment-abhorrence will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/continue-with-whatever-it-is-that-you-have-been-doing-except-for/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [She might be without country, without nation, but inside her there was still a being that could exist and be free, that could simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/she-might-be-without-country-without-nation-but-inside-her-there-was/) [Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/) > [Some persons are so inclined to mortify themselves that at every opportunity they have, they do so. What a beautiful practice this is, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonsus-rodriguez/some-persons-are-so-inclined-to-mortify-themselves-that-at-every/) [Alphonsus Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonsus-rodriguez/) ## More by Susan David > [“Courage is not the absence of fear but fear walking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear-but-fear-walking/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“Staying emotionally agile requires us to find the equilibrium between overcompetence on the one hand and overchallenge on the other. This is the teeter-totter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/staying-emotionally-agile-requires-us-to-find-the-equilibrium-between/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“In a survey of thousands of respondents, researchers in England found that of all the “happy habits” science has currently identified as being keys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/in-a-survey-of-thousands-of-respondents-researchers-in-england-found/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“Luckily, scientists have uncovered a few secrets to help make the process of creating habits easier. In their bestselling book Nudge, the economist Richard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/luckily-scientists-have-uncovered-a-few-secrets-to-help-make-the/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“Grit embodies—but is not the same as—resilience, ambition, and self-control. The University of Pennsylvania psychologist and researcher Angela Duckworth defines it as passion and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/grit-embodies-but-is-not-the-same-as-resilience-ambition-and-self/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“1. The no-brainer: Switch up your environment so that when you’re hungry, tired, stressed, or rushed, the choice most aligned with your values is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/1-the-no-brainer-switch-up-your-environment-so-that-when-you-re/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“2. The piggyback: Add a new behavior onto an existing habit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/2-the-piggyback-add-a-new-behavior-onto-an-existing-habit/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“4. The obstacle course: Offset a positive vision with thoughts of potential challenges.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/4-the-obstacle-course-offset-a-positive-vision-with-thoughts-of/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“When we show up fully, with awareness and acceptance, even the worst demons usually back down. Simply”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/when-we-show-up-fully-with-awareness-and-acceptance-even-the-worst/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“3. The precommitment: Anticipate obstacles and prepare for them with “if-then” strategies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/3-the-precommitment-anticipate-obstacles-and-prepare-for-them-with-if/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“The most effective way to transform your life, therefore, is not by quitting your job and moving to an ashram, but, to paraphrase Teddy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/the-most-effective-way-to-transform-your-life-therefore-is-not-by/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“In looking for the right places to make these tiny changes, there are three broad areas of opportunity. You can tweak your beliefs—or what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/in-looking-for-the-right-places-to-make-these-tiny-changes-there-are/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“Courage is not an absence of fear; courage is fear walking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/courage-is-not-an-absence-of-fear-courage-is-fear-walking/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“The parent who praises a child’s accomplishment by saying, ‘You studied hard!’ promotes a growth mindset. The parent who says, ‘Look at your A,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/the-parent-who-praises-a-child-s-accomplishment-by-saying-you-studied/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) > [“Life’s beauty is inseparable from its fragility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/life-s-beauty-is-inseparable-from-its-fragility/) [Susan David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) [Explore all 19 Susan David quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/) ## More Attachment quotes > [Some persons are so inclined to mortify themselves that at every opportunity they have, they do so. What a beautiful practice this is, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonsus-rodriguez/some-persons-are-so-inclined-to-mortify-themselves-that-at-every/) [Alphonsus Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonsus-rodriguez/) > [She might be without country, without nation, but inside her there was still a being that could exist and be free, that could simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/she-might-be-without-country-without-nation-but-inside-her-there-was/) [Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/) > [When attachment Dies… Formalities are Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemant-vaswani/when-attachment-dies-formalities-are-born/) [Hemant Vaswani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hemant-vaswani/) > [“Continue with whatever it is that you have been doing, except for attachment-abhorrence. If ‘we’ stay in our state of Pure Soul, attachment-abhorrence will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/continue-with-whatever-it-is-that-you-have-been-doing-except-for/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Love, like truth and beauty, is concrete. Love is not fundamentally a sweet feeling; not, at heart, a matter of sentiment, attachment, or being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-heyward/love-like-truth-and-beauty-is-concrete-love-is-not-fundamentally-a/) [Carter Heyward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-heyward/) > [The real goal of Zen is to find a way of life that's easy and undramatic. Strong attachments lead to upset and drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/the-real-goal-of-zen-is-to-find-a-way-of-life-that-s-easy-and/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [“The past is no good if you can't learn from it; therefore, no sense in dwelling on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arians-karlovi-s/the-past-is-no-good-if-you-can-t-learn-from-it-therefore-no-sense-in/) [Arians Karlovičs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arians-karlovi-s/) > [“Remaining absolutely non-acquisitive (aparigrahi) amidst all possessions is the ultimate ‘test examination’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/remaining-absolutely-non-acquisitive-aparigrahi-amidst-all/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Interwoven as is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts, no recommendation of mine is necessary to fortify or confirm the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/interwoven-as-is-the-love-of-liberty-with-every-ligament-of-your/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Money is not a problem, but unintelligent attachment to it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/money-is-not-a-problem-but-unintelligent-attachment-to-it-is/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [“You need to belong to yourself, and let others belong to themselves too. You need to be free and detached from things and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-eriksson/you-need-to-belong-to-yourself-and-let-others-belong-to-themselves/) [Charlotte Eriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-eriksson/) > [All our attachments are outward oriented and hence this illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-our-attachments-are-outward-oriented-and-hence-this-illusion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is attachment that makes people forget not only their moral duties but even who they really are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amish-tripathi/it-is-attachment-that-makes-people-forget-not-only-their-moral-duties/) [Amish Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amish-tripathi/) > [... professing myself moreover convinced that the general's unjust interference, so far from being really injurious to their felicity, was perhaps rather conducive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/professing-myself-moreover-convinced-that-the-general-s-unjust/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) [Browse all 959 Attachment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attachment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A child’s sense of secure attachment—this idea that I, in all my glory, as well as all my stinkiness and imperfection, am loved and accepted—allows him not only to take risks in the world but also to take risks with his own emotions. Knowing he will not be invalidated, rejected, punished, or shamed for feeling whatever he feels, he can test out sadness, happiness, or anger and figure out how to manage or respond to each of these emotions in turn.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan David" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/a-child-s-sense-of-secure-attachment-this-idea-that-i-in-all-my-glory/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attachment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/a-child-s-sense-of-secure-attachment-this-idea-that-i-in-all-my-glory/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/susan-david-28829_children_a-child-s-sense-of-secure-attachment-thi_2026096.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/susan-david-28829_children_a-child-s-sense-of-secure-attachment-thi_2026096.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/436/susan-david-28829_children_a-child-s-sense-of-secure-attachment-thi_2026096.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A child’s sense of secure attachment—this idea that I, in all my glory, as well as all my stinkiness and…” — Susan David", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Susan David", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-david/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A child’s sense of secure attachment—this...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/a-child-s-sense-of-secure-attachment-this-idea-that-i-in-all-my-glory/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-david/a-child-s-sense-of-secure-attachment-this-idea-that-i-in-all-my-glory/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```