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A Little Stressed
Does Family Stress Affect Toddlers?
By Keath Castelloe Low
A chaotic or stressful environment can leave a kid feeling unsure and unsafe, Dr. Barzvi says. Ongoing stress can result in anxiety and depression. Predictability and consistency in a child's life helps nurture feelings of security and safety.
The birth of a sibling can sometimes bring about stressful feelings in toddlers. Maria Resnick from Durango, Colo., had some difficulties with her second pregnancy that prevented her from picking up her son, Ryan. Resnick admits that it was hard not to pick up Ryan, especially when he pleaded. She experienced feelings of guilt and worry about Ryan and wanted to make sure he got the love and attention he needed.
"Then came the birth of Mia," Resnick says. "Ryan cried when he saw me in the hospital bed. I was hooked up to IVs and he begged me repeatedly to get out of bed." Ryan seemed afraid and alarmed at the site of his mother. "To make matters worse, Mia was not with me at the time during Ryan's meltdown, so when the nurse brought Mia in from the nursery, he pretty much lost it," she says.
Ryan continued to have difficulties, lots of crying and temper tantrums when Mia and his mother returned home from the hospital. It has been seven months since Mia's birth. Resnick says that Ryan seems to have adjusted, "making his prior mbivalence a thing of the past."
