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Chapter 3 (continued)
Mother and Son (cont.)
Failure to Instill Basic Trust
The development of trust is one of the first developmental tasks of childhood. This chapter has discussed a young boy’s unwillingness to trust his father, which can lead to a defensive detachment (see “Father and Son” above). It is in the relationship with the first caregiver—usually the mother—that infants acquire, or do not acquire, this basic trust. The degree of trust that will be acquired will depend upon the quality of this relationship.12(p103) Mothers who are not able or willing to provide a stable relationship with their infants jeopardize the child’s ability to trust in future relationships. Boys in this situation would be more vulnerable to disruptions in their relationships with their fathers, which could lead to detachment and perhaps to homosexual development.9(p45)
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