Attachment theory proposes that strong emotional bonds form between children and their primary caregivers. These attachments develop through stages in early childhood and influence a child's social-emotional development. John Bowlby's research on emotionally disturbed children linked early separations from mothers to later maladjustment. There are different types of attachments including secure, ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganized attachments that influence a child's behaviors. Understanding attachment is important for parenting and early childhood education.