My Child Knew He Was Protected | Episode 18
Episode 18: My child knew he was protected.
Within the Village Engagement Matrix™, children in the Seedling Stage (Pre-K–2nd grade) are developing confidence, emotional awareness, and a stronger sense of who they are, while parents and caregivers are in Architect Phase I, helping children build secure relationships, confidence, and a positive sense of self.
In Episode 18, we discuss one of my son’s favorite childhood memories and what it taught me about secure attachment.
When my son was nine years old, he shared a memory that completely changed how I understood our relationship.
Years earlier, another adult had misunderstood a situation and began speaking to him. From across the playground, I simply held up one finger and said, “Ma’am…uhn-uhn.”
That was all it took.
I thought I was simply protecting my child.
What I didn’t realize was that he understood exactly what I was doing.
Later, while reading Magic Tree House, I asked him what he thought a mother dinosaur meant when she made a warning sound as someone approached her eggs.
His answer?
“Ma’am…uhn-uhn.”
That was the moment I realized my son knew he was protected.
Today, as an Oak Tree, that same secure attachment continues to shape our relationship.
He moves through the world with the confidence of knowing he has a safe place to land and someone who will always stand beside him when needed.
Through the lens of the Village Engagement Matrix™, this episode illustrates that secure attachment is not simply something a parent feels for a child. It is something a child comes to know, trust, and carry with them as they grow.
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