This is an important concept and an important step in a child’s emotional development. Object permanence is the term used to describe that a person cognitively understands that a thing is still there even when you can’t see it any more.

Jean Piaget was the psychologist that researched this and determined that healthy infants between the ages of 8 to 9 months usually develop this. In other words, when Mom is not where they can see her doesn’t mean that she no longer exists.

Children who have been neglected during those critical developmental stages often exhibit abnormalities in understanding the concept of object permanence. This can show up in these children as an important component of their attachment issues. They literally may not be able to understand that you still exist when you’re not with them.

Many babies or small children may believe that they disappear when they are under blankets or they can’t explain where a turtle goes when he goes into his shell.
The problem occurs when children older than these infants have missed this developmental stage. This can lead to very inappropriate separation anxiety, sleep problems or other intense anxiety or phobias about a parent leaving.

A therapist named Holly Van Gulden speaks often of the importance of object permanence and object consistency in her work with attachment –affected children. Holly is the author of Real Parents, Real Children: Parenting the Adopted Child.

Some of the things that help a child develop object permanence, and ultimately enhance attachment are some of the things that parents often do “naturally” with infants and young children. Playing peek-a-boo is an example of a game that develops object permanence. Letting your child carry a picture of you to school, having the child sleep with one of your shirts (so she can smell you) when you’re traveling, and playing hide and seek are all ways of helping your child remember you and understand that you do exist, even when you’re not with him.

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