How constant stress at home can affect children’s behaviour and confidence
Psychologist Rima Bhandekar explains how chronic parental stress can negatively impact a child's emotional development and behavior. She notes that children often mirror parental anxiety, leading to withdrawal, irritability, or academic struggles.
Why it matters
Offers practical psychological insight into the intersection of family dynamics and mental health, emphasizing the need for parental self-care.
Parenting is often described as one of life's most rewarding experiences, but the demands of raising a child can also leave adults feeling overwhelmed. Between work, household responsibilities, financial concerns and the pressure to make the right decisions, parents may find it difficult to remain calm and emotionally available all the time. While many try their best to shield their children from these struggles, stress can sometimes affect family interactions in ways that children notice.Speaking to HT Lifestyle, psychologist Rima Bhandekar explained that parents often feel an unspoken pressure to get everything right because society expects them to know what is best for their children. Over time, this expectation can become exhausting, affecting not only the parent's well-being but also the emotional environment in which a child grows up. However, parental stress does not automatically mean a child will be harmed.
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