This moving story illustrates eloquently the importance of building a strong attachment early on in a child’s life. As is shown so clearly in this programme, Alison overcame many obstacles to give Parys as much care, love and attention as she could while he was a baby.

No matter that the ways in which she found herself looking after him were unorthodox, nor that she wasn’t able to do some of things that other mothers take for granted, the important thing for Parys is that Alison gave him the precious gift of knowing that he could feel secure in her love for him.

Research is showing clearly that this sense of security lies at the heart of childhood development and that it can help children to overcome adversities that they may face later in their lives. It is also becoming evident that a secure attachment can give them a head start in building their relationships with other people and in time becoming parents themselves.

When, in the programme, we see Alison leaving Parys so that she can travel abroad for her work, although Parys is clearly not entirely happy about this, the impression we gain is that he does have sufficient trust in his mother that he can anticipate her return and her continued presence in his life.

To find out more about parents and attachment, explore Best Mum, Best Dad.