Children's dynamics: Groups and toddlers interact from Winnicott's perspective

Abstract

Toddlers have a very peculiar group dynamic, which differs, in a large extent, from the dynamics of adults. While the individual who has already constituted himself as I am participates in the group as a union of mutually enriching units, Winnicott argues that babies and children still in the maturation phase, that has not reached the status of I am, form a group in terms of coverage mother, seeking the status of the psychosomatic unit. Winnicott developed a theory of groups and group pre-formations of babies and young children that can help a lot to understand and intervene in issues involving these interactions. However, this knowledge is rarely discussed in psychoanalysis as a theory of group dynamics. In this article, we present this theory through a narrative review of the literature.