What I’ve found is that mothering requires three essential elements: nurturance, protection, and guidance. The first two—nurturance and protection—are the most primitive needs little ones have from mothers. Guidance, the third element, comes later. If we are deprived of one or more of these developmental needs, we struggle with symptoms of insecure attachment as we mature. For example, without early maternal nurturance, we grow up hungry for touch and belonging. Without early maternal protection, we are constantly anxious and afraid. Without maternal guidance, we lack an internal compass
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