There are different phases of attachment and each is related to cognitive and physical development.
A baby’s social and emotional development is affected by the quality of their attachment to their caregiver. A baby is initially attached to the mom as she is usually the primary caregiver. However, an attachment with the father figure usually complements the relationship the child has with their mom.
As a baby moves into the toddler phase, she starts to realise she is a separate individual from her mother, and other caregivers, like the father, then become more interesting. According to clinical psychologists this stage is connected to toddlers developing a healthy sense of independence, which sees them asserting choices wherever they can.
This phase of development is linked to object permanence and separation anxiety (part of the developmental theory of Jean Piaget). While in some ways it does have to do with the developing frontal cortex of the brain, which allows the child to make more connections, the theory and phase are part of social and emotional development. This Daddy Phase is largely a recognition of how some children work through their development.
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