Goals that are put in place to make caring for a child easier on the family.

The tendency of a parent to invest in their children’s interests and pursuits and empathize with their success and failures.

A tendency of a child to identify with the parent who they perceive as most like himself or herself.

The tendency of a child to identify with the more powerful (from the child’s perspective) of two parents.

The tendency of a child to identify with the more caring of two parents.

A strategy in which a parent or caregiver explains the possible results of a child’s action on another person.

The ways in which family members interact with and relate to one another.

The subtle alignment of a parent or caregiving adult to the needs of a child by means of close attention to the child’s nonverbal communication.

A child’s expectations for relationships based on past experiences, which shapes how he or she interacts with caregivers and others.

Physical and emotional support, particularly of a child by a parent or other adult.