By Joanne Highley
Published September 2006
When a child is born into a family, there begins a discovery by the child of who he or she is. This discovery is done by relating to the mother and father during infancy and early childhood. If the parents pay attention to the baby, pray over the baby, speak to him or her, laugh and play with the baby and attend to the needs of the baby, the formation of the baby’s personhood can develop naturally. But if there are distractions, crises, dysfunction in the parents, inability to express love or give the baby what he or she needs, then the baby cannot grow and discover who he or she is.
