Children who have difficult relationships with their moms are clingy towards teachers

"Our research suggests that preschool teachers have the potential to play a pivotal role for children who are more dependent," said Robin Neuhaus, lead researcher and doctoral student in NYU Steinhardt's Department of Teacher and Learning. "By being warm and supportive, and by encouraging children to explore, preschool teachers may be able to reset the trajectories of children who may otherwise struggle with anxiety in elementary school."

Analyzing data from 769 children collected by the National Institute of Health's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Neuhaus and her colleagues looked at assessments of mother-child attachment patterns from families across the United States. The sample looked at attachment at 36 months, 54 months, first, third and fifth grades, and examined dependency, closeness, conflict and other behaviors between children and their mothers, as well as children and their teachers.

"Results from multilevel models showed that clingy behavior with preschool teachers was associated with higher levels of anxious behaviors when children were in fifth grade. Clingy behavior also partially mediated the link between a difficult type of mother-child attachment and anxiety in fifth grade," continued Neuhaus.