Which is a positive sign indicating not yet detached when a parent arrives?

• A. Previously calm child is upset upon arrival of parents (POSITIVE sign, showing no detachment yet)
• B. Child's interest in material goods rather than parent visiting
• C. The 'highly social' child has suffered prolonged separation
• D. Reluctance to leave hospital with parents upon discharge

Answer: (A)

When the parent arrives and the child responds with distress or protest, that signals attachment is still active and detachment has not occurred. This reaction shows the child relies on the parent for security and comfort, using the parent as a reassuring presence in the environment. It demonstrates the child hasn’t shifted away emotionally or become indifferent.

Other scenarios don’t reflect this immediate reunion response: a child who is more interested in material goods than the visiting parent isn’t showing reliance on the caregiver for emotional comfort; a highly social child who has experienced long separation would typically show distress during separation rather than at the moment a parent arrives; and reluctance to leave the hospital at discharge points to anxiety about transitioning away from the setting, not about the ongoing attachment status at arrivals.