Depression in Parents of Infants and Toddlers

Depression in parents of takes a great toll on their infants and toddlers. The greatest impact obviously occurs when the parents is the prime caregiver, most often the mother. The attitude and behavior of the parent affects the child's behavior as a young child and throughout the following years of his life.

The sketch of a depressed parent is one who is occupied with his or her own cares and leaves little room for the needs of the child. This parent may be reserved or detached from the child, failing to respond to his cries. They may also fail to recognize the negativity in their child, (this negativity being the result of the parent's attitude).

The child of such a parent will project his dissatisfaction and the resulting negative traits in different ways. Some may be unable to quiet themselves. Crying is a mechanism used to arouse the parent and to supply the satisfaction or aid the child seeks. However, if one's parent falls short of providing the necessary response, the child will continue to cry and will have difficulty stopping. They may not take part in different activities that another child would find pleasurable. These children, themselves, become depressed and unresponsive since they are used to feeling alone and uncared for.

While a child may originally be happy and content, he responds to the person who cares for him. If this person displays a negative attitude, the child will react to this and will exhibit his own manifestation of this mind-set. The child may reveal his own downbeat mood which can show itself in his evasion of eye contact or his own serious or subdued expressions. He may fail to make contact or interact with his mother or other caretakers.