“They’re Too Young to be Affected” #wait

“They’re Too Young to be Affected” #wait.

Source: PMC5036936

Toddlers exposed to negative home environments can exhibit increased aggression and cautious behavior due to the stressful and unstable conditions they experience. This period of early childhood is critical for emotional and psychological development, and a negative home environment can have profound impacts on their behavior and mental health.

Aggression in Toddlers:

Modeling Behavior: Toddlers often mimic the behaviors they observe in their caregivers. In homes where conflict, yelling, or physical aggression are common, toddlers may learn to express themselves in similar ways, believing that aggression is a normal or acceptable response to frustration or anger.
Emotional Stress: Exposure to negative home environments, such as domestic violence, neglect, or consistent parental conflict, can cause significant emotional stress in toddlers. This stress can manifest as aggression because young children lack the developed coping mechanisms and communication skills needed to process their emotions healthily.
Attention-Seeking: In chaotic or neglectful environments, toddlers may resort to aggressive behavior as a means of gaining attention. Negative behaviors can sometimes elicit a quicker response from caregivers, even if it is in the form of discipline, which the child may prefer over being ignored.

#parenting #toddler #psychology

[vangu]

People deny children are aware so they don't have to take responsibility for their negative behavior.

[hailreaper_]

that switch from happy to quiet and reserved really hit home. the amount of arguments where i just had to sit there awkwardly and watch

[gabriellemcnamara]

This made me really sad imagining all the kids growing up in angry and unstable households, and then all the consequences into adulthood. It's hard to heal those scars and not repeat those same cycles.

[ghostsniper]

Really puts "We stayed together for the kids' benefit" into perspective.

[mrtoestie]

Moment when you ate dinner as a family growing up, and 90% of the time those meals were accompanied by arguing.

[xioffb]

All children of emotionally immature parents who realize the generational trauma within the family didn’t start with them but could end with them raise their hands 🙋

[Astrosyrup]

Yep. “You were too young to be affected” and “boy’s don’t cry.” Thanks mum. Thanks a lot.

[meysaali-guzman]

Hearing my parents argue as a kid now make me burst in tears EVERY time someone raises their voice.

[Pandidolod]

I wish more people understood that growing up in an abusive household doesn't ever leave you. It sticks with you for the REST of your life and comes out in so many intricate ways.

[WobblesandBean]

I can't stand people who say to stay together "for the kids". *_This is the worst thing to do to your child._* Kids know their parents don't love each other, and it teaches them to accept being treated badly by their own partners. Ask me how I know.

[AroonYousufi]

Seeing the smile fade away from his face broke my heart...
My heart goes out to all the innocent people out there being in any sort of Abuse.

[BloodNote]

It's sad seeing my life visualized even in a moment. My childhood was FILLED with emotional abuse from my mother. I remember feeling how that child looks at a young age.

[tabora_]

I'm 22, I STILL REMEMBER my parents fighting and screaming in front of me. I STILL remember a traumatizing night at my paternal grandfather's home one night when I was 3 or younger. Never went over his house ever again, but I still remember the smell of food from that night. Children will always remember.

[s.i.john.]

There's evidence that a stressful, negative environment can even cause trauma in the womb. Babies can feel and hear things in the womb, and they're affected by their mothers' cortisol levels too.

[Empathy-and-resilience]

This is actually the switch that flipped so that I finally left a very toxic and abusive marriage. I told my husband he could do anything, just please do not yell at me in front of our baby. He couldn’t even do that and I realized that I couldn’t let my child grow up in that kind of environment. Thank you for bringing this to people’s attention!!!

[JBaxter-pioj]

How arrogant of adults to believe our behaviour doesn't impact our children, our pets, indeed any living creature around ours. Emotional maturity is a must for parenthood. I think it's well worth teaching children from a very young age how to care for themselves so that they have practice with assuming responsibility for their own needs and emotions. Thank you for sharing!

[EchoEcho]

I don’t care what y’all say. That little boy needs a hug.

[luloba]

Learning emotional regulation and other related skills to increase one's emotional intelligence is so importance for quality of life for ourselves as well as our loved ones, of all ages.

[TBJ]

As someone who was abused as a kid, grew up with fits of rage and learned to control them to be ready to become a father, what really helped me was the sentence "you can't control your emotions, but you can control your reactions".

[incoporealmage]

"parent" and "emotional maturity" in one sentence is crazy.