Many of us struggle with the fact that one day our kids will grow up and not need us as much. They will inevitably blaze their own independent lives outside the warm cocoon of our arms. Caitlin welcomes Erin O'Connor to the podcast to discuss secure attachment and why it's never too late to strengthen the bond we have with our kids. Erin is an academic wiz and a force to be reckoned with in the field of child development. She's a professor and director of the New York University's Early Childhood Education program. She holds a Doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard, a Masters in teaching from Fordham University, and a Masters in school psychology from Columbia University. She co-founded the scientificmommy community which is now called Your Cooper, a platform designed to bring together parents, teachers, and researchers around issues of child development. Erin is also co-host of the podcast Parenting Understood, which provides accessible information on parenting and development research. In this episode, Erin talks about the ways parents can nurture positive relationships with their children, why it's never too late to strengthen that bond, and how it's not all on us to ensure they're securely attached because research shows that when a child develops a strong relationship with someone outside the immediate family, like a teacher, coach, or relative, it's a good predictor of their social-emotional health and academic success. Tune into this fascinating conversation as Erin weaves scientific research into Caitlin's burning questions about parenting and how to ensure our kids will want to come back to us as they test their independence out in the world. Check out Your Cooper (an online parenting group reimagined) Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners: Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) Perfect Bar The best store in the world The second best store