5 First children are particularly anxious.
First-time parents are often worriers, and with good reason: their oldest child is their only child for a period of time, and they tend to express more anxiety over their sole child’s well-being than parents with larger broods. As such, first children often absorb some of their parents’ anxiety, becoming worried about the same things their parents express concern over.
“Parents are more anxious when rearing their first child. Parents feel pressure to meet demands of developmental milestones and transfer that anxiety to their kids,” says therapist Carrie Krawiec, LMFT. “First time parents are anxious about safety because everything as it relates to this baby feels fragile.”
