Children Experience Burnout Too!!

 By - Kaylee Mautner 

        Hi everyone, I am a Nursing major with a minor in Psychology at Fran U. My goal for after school is to work in the PICU or NICU helping children and babies. I not only want to work with little people to help them fight their struggles, but also be there for their families. There is always an army behind sick children and babies making it hard on parents, siblings, grandparents, and any other type of family. I choose to write about this topic due to the consequences children receive from their parents who have such difficult jobs and take so much from them physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

“Take Heart! You have not turned into a monster parent; your brain is just doing its job. Once you have identified the fact that you have reached compassion fatigue and take action to remedy that, balance will be restored.” – Sarah Naish.

 

Parental Burnout from Healthcare Jobs    

    Parental Burnout is commonly experienced among healthcare workers with the long hours, workplace conflict, emotional labor, and always experience death. These horrible attributes can portray onto their children causing them to change their behavior and have negative emotions toward their peers. Children can become aggressive, defiant, high anxiety, attachment issues and even struggle to regulate their cognitive development. Cognitive development such as a parent’s lack of responsiveness can make a child’s social emotional understanding. Even if the parent started by withdrawing from the child’s activities the child could think it was their fault. 

    Children can become negative and act out at school or towards their parents from burnout and parent’s forget it is themselves who is creating the bad behavior. Not attending school, exhaustion, decreased motivation, and lack of participation are signs of something is affecting your child. Burnout from parents jobs allow for shorter periods of quality time, less attention, more missed activities and increase depression. Children shouldn’t be affected by their guardians depression and anxiety from burnout, but should be uplifted to try to avoid them feeling the same way.

Have You Tried Outlet Options??

    If caregivers don’t want their children to receive consequences from their burnout they should find outlets to their burnout. Creating a positive relationship with some authoritative action inside and outside of the home. Parents should try these outlets before the point of no return and the outlets aren’t helpful. Multiple outlets include: exercise, admitting your feelings, therapy, scheduling breaks, and prioritizing self care. 5-10 minutes minimum a day can greatly improve your child’s perception of your burnout. In the article, The Impact of Perceiving the Child as Difficult on Family Functioning: The Mediating Role of Parental Burnout and the Moderating Role of Parental Task Sharing and Parental Psychological Flexibility it explains how if parents split up responsibilities and adapt to stress they can decrease negative reactions and behaviors onto their children. Establishing clear boundaries and prioritizing others self care and communication are needed to help children.     

    

    Consistent routines create stability and reduce stress for you and your partner to help your children feel no burnout. Personally, I don’t have children to put my burnout onto but I have experienced burnout with school. The best way for me to put myself first is shopping and getting my nails done. The 2-4 hours I have without studying and constantly looking at material improves my mental capacity to retain more information. This self care is important for caregivers since they never realize the negative impacts they are protruding. A caregivers needs to focus on their child’s strengths and weaknesses pertaining to them individually to show support instead of burnout. 

Statistics of Burnout

    Hardworking and time consuming jobs take more than just commitment but time, effort and new growth. Everyone should prevent their future or child’s struggles of work and home balance along with burnout. According to the CDC, from 2018 before the pandemic started until 2022 burnout increased 14% from 32% to 46%. Workplaces started helping the support of their staff’s mental health so burnout didn’t occur by: trust, stress prevention, participation, and support for productivity. 

This photo gives us a great statistically view of how healthcare workers experience the most burnout and negative impacts from their life saving work.  

References

    Almis, H., Han Almis, B., & Bucak, I. H. (2022, January). Mental health of children of health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. Clinical child psychology and psychiatry. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8829220/ 

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Health Workers Face A Mental Health Crisis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/health-worker-mental-health/index.html 

    Ginter, A., Dumas, K., Gomez, D. R., Frank, S., Zablocki, Z., & Cahlander, B. (2024, March 31). Workplace stress and burnout in child life: Perspectives from newer professionals: Published in the Journal of Child Life: Psychosocial Theory and Practice. The Journal of Child Life: Psychosocial Theory and Practice. https://childlife.scholasticahq.com/article/115805-workplace-stress-and-burnout-in-child-life-perspectives-from-newer-professionals 

    Lunn, J., Brennan, L., Brewster, L., Hindocha, A., Patel, P., Stowell, C., & Isba, R. (2025, February 20). Burnout and staff experiences of Health Inequalities in children’s hospitals: A qualitative analysis. BMJ open. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11842975/ 

    Çı ̇men, F., & Seçer, İ. (2024). (PDF) the impact of perceiving the child as difficult on family functioning: The mediating role of Parental Burnout and the moderating role of parental task sharing and parental psychological flexibility. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/386100879_The_impact_of_perceiving_the_child_as_difficult_on_family_functioning_The_mediating_role_of_parental_burnout_and_the_moderating_role_of_parental_task_sharing_and_parental_psychological_flexibility 

From Playtime to Screen time: Are We Trading Joy for Behavioral Struggles?

 From Playtime to Screen time: Are We Trading Joy for Behavioral Struggles?

My name is Isabella Schexnaydre, and I’m a nursing major with a strong interest in pediatric health and development. The claim that excessive screen use during early childhood is linked to delayed emotional regulation and increased risk of behavioral problems matters deeply to me. As someone preparing for a career in nursing, I believe it’s important to understand the impact technology has on children’s mental and emotional growth. I want to be able to educate and support families in creating healthier habits that promote positive development. This issue is especially important to me because I care about helping kids build strong emotional foundations from an early age. 

What impact does excessive screen use in early childhood have on emotional development and behavior? In today's digital world, children are exposed to screens at earlier ages and for longer periods than ever before. While technology can offer educational benefits, too much screen time during critical developmental years may have serious consequences. Research shows that excessive screen use in early childhood is linked to delayed emotional regulation and a higher risk of behavioral issues such as aggression, anxiety, and attention problems. Understanding these effects is crucial for parents, educators, and caregivers aiming to support healthy emotional growth in young children.  

Two key terms in this discussion are screen time, the amount of time spent using devices with screens such as tablets, smartphones, computers, and televisions, and Behavorial problems, which refer to challenges in a child’s conduct like aggression or social withdrawal that interfere with learning and relationships. This topic matters because early childhood is a critical period for brain development, and too much screen exposure can disrupt natural emotional and social learning processes. By understanding how screen time affects young children, parents and caregivers can make more informed choices. Setting health boundaries with technology can promote better emotional regulation, stronger relationships, and overall healthier developmental outcomes.  

The study finds that preschool aged children who spend more time on screens tend to show signs of emotional liability, such as frequent mood swings and difficulty calming down. This research highlights that excessive screen time may interfere with a child's ability to regulate their emotional properly, leading to behavioral emotional issues. This source is important because it provides empirical evidence shaping the direct impact of screen time on emotional regulation in young children. It emphasizes the need to limit screen exposure to support healthy emotional development. Understanding this connection can help parents, educators, and caregivers make informed decisions about screen time and its potential effects on children’s mental health. 

My big takeaway from this research is that screen time in early childhood can have a significant impact on emotional development, particularly in how children regulate their emotions. The stuff highlights that too much screen exposure is linked to mood swings and emotional difficulties, which underscores the importance of setting healthy limits on screen time. This finding is crucial for parents and. Caregivers as it stresses the need to prioritizes other forms of interaction, like play, that help children develop better emotional control and social skills. The reader should care because understanding the impact of screen time on emotional development is crucial for raising healthy, emotionally balanced children. With screen use becoming a big part of young children’s lives, knowing how it can affect emotional regulation helps parents, educators, and caregivers make more informed decisions. By limiting screen time, they can promote healthier emotional growth and prevent potential behavioral problems down the road. This knowledge empowers adults to create environments that support children’s mental and emotional wellbeing in a rapidly changing digital world. 

 

Ayse Oflu, Ozlem Tezol, Songul Yalcin, Deniz Yildiz, Nilgun Caylan, Dilsad F Ozdemir, Seyma Cicek, Meryem E Nergiz, (2021), Excessive screen time is associated with emotional lability in preschool children. Pediatric International 63(6), 106-113. dot:10.5546/aap.2021.eng.106 

Connections Between NICU Babies and Learning Disabilities

By: Victoria Breithaupt

   I am Victoria Breithaupt and am majoring is nursing and minoring in psychology at FranU.  My ultimate goal is to become a NICU nurse and to help not only the NICU babies, but also the parents with their mental and emotional state too. 

    Are you or have you know a NICU baby? If you are or know people who were NICU babies did they or you have a learning disability? Since a NICU baby is born earlier than expected, they might not have everything fully developed and could cause problems later down the road with learning certain skills in school. For instance, a child that had a lower birth weight or gestational age is more likely to have a learning disability. One of the learning disabilities that the child could have would be being able to read. 

    Locomotor subscale evaluates the gross motor skills. Personal-Social subscale evaluates the ability of activities in daily living, independence, and also being able to interact with other children. Performance subscale is the visuospatial skills like their pace when working and precision. This topic matters because if a child is diagnosed wit ha learning disability earlier in life, then the child will be able to have more resources or help when it comes to academics. The earlier the diagnosis, then the child will struggle less in school because the child could be in a program or school that is designed to help students with learning disabilities. This is important for my topic because it supports my idea that NICU babies can develop learning disabilities and were studied at different ages like 2 and up in order to see the different levels of difficulties that the students were dealing with.

    Infants that were born at 35-36 weeks gestation did not show any signs of a lower academic score, while infants that were born at 32-34 weeks gestation showed lower academic scores. Children that were born earlier show difficulties in math  and if the children were born very early, then they showed slower reaction times in nonsymbiotic magnitude comparisons and delays in knowledge of numbers. When babies were 18 months of age, they were tested with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development language composite and also the children's lexical processing speed in the looking-while-listening task. The children were also tested with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test when they were 36 months. Babies that are born earlier are scoring lower on tests that are designed to assess their abilities. 

    Patients or teachers seeing children having difficulties in school and trying to find a solution to the problem in order for them to do better in school and be more successful. The parents getting the child tested for a learning disability and trying to get them help with their school work. Once parents know how to help their children with a learning disability, then it will make the child's academic life so much better. Once a child is diagnosed, then it takes a lot of the weight off the parent's, but also the child's back too. If a parent of teacher knows that their baby or student was a NICU baby, then that could give them some insight into the assistance that they need in order for them to thrive in their school work. Bein a NICU baby will come with a lot of struggles, but being diagnosed with a learning disability can be one of the struggles. 

Squarza, C., Picciolini, O., Gardon, L., Giannì, M. L., Murru, A., Gangi, S., Cortinovis, I., Milani, S., & Mosca, F. (2016). Learning disabilities in extremely low birth weight children and neurodevelopmental profiles at preschool age. Frontiers in Psychology, 7.

    Church, P. T., Dahan, M., Rule, A., Janvier, A., Stewart, J. E., Maypole, J. S., Fehlings, D., Litt, J. S., & Banihani, R. (2024). NICU Language, Everyday Ethics, and Giving Better News: Optimizing Discussions about Disability with Families. Children, 11(2), 242. https://doi-org.ezproxy.franu.edu/10.3390/children11020242

LOCK, N. E. et al. Academic performance in moderately and late preterm children in the United States: are they catching up? Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association, [s. l.], v. 44, n. 6, p. 819–826, 2024. DOI 10.1038/s41372-024-01938-y. Disponível em: https://research-ebsco-com.ezproxy.franu.edu/linkprocessor/plink?id=901f94c2-012c-3085-896e-5eacfe53dc92. Acesso em: 9 maio. 2025.

Guarini, A., Tobia, V., Bonifacci, P., Faldella, G., & Sansavini, A. (2021). Magnitude Comparisons, Number Knowledge and Calculation in Very Preterm Children and Children with Specific Learning Disability: A Cross-Population Study Using Eye-Tracking. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 54(2), 83–96. https://doi-org.ezproxy.franu.edu/10.1177/0022219420950651

Marchman, V. A., Adams, K. A., Loi, E. C., Fernald, A., & Feldman, H. M. (2016). Early language processing efficiency predicts later receptive vocabulary outcomes in children born preterm. Child Neuropsychology, 22(6), 649–665. https://doi-org.ezproxy.franu.edu/10.1080/09297049.2015.1038987

https://michaclark.com/nicu/the-importance-of-developmental-care-in-the-nicu/

Connections Between Cerebral Palsy, Malnutrition and Cognition

 

Connections Between Cerebral Palsy, Malnutrition and Cognition

Image 1) My father holding my CP diagnosed younger brother in the NICU

Introduction

Imagine being a new parent and having a doctor tell you your child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The doctor further explains that the child may never walk, and cognitive abilities are questionable. This is the jarring reality that many parents have had to endure. Cerebral Palsy (CP) affects 2.1 out of every 1000 births worldwide. (Baggaley et al 2025 pg. 2) It is caused by damage to the brain or irregular development of motor controls within the brain. Despite numerous safety precautions, some forms of CP are not preventable, and its impacts affect many aspects of a person’s life. Connections between cerebral palsy, malnutrition, and cognition have been linked through studies conducted by research and medical professionals.

 

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a group of motor impairment disorders that affect movement. There are three types of cerebral palsy. These are spastic paralysis, dyskinesia, and ataxia cerebral palsy. CP is often congenital, mearing it is present prior to, during or shortly after birth. It is caused by several factors including maternal infections, genetic predisposition, prenatal head injuries, and hypoxia. (Silva-Araújo et al 2024 pg. 1) Hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, can occur utero by a host of concerns, included by not limited to, malformations that block blood supply, severe anemia, preeclampsia, placental issues, and even stroke. Brain areas most affected by cerebral palsy include the basil ganglia, motor cortex, and cerebellum. Damage to these areas of the brain affects a child’s motor abilities by inducing tremors, involuntary movements and postural instability.

 

Cerebral Palsy and Nutrition

Because cerebral palsy is a motor impairment, some movement is either impaired or entirely nonfunctional. This loss of motor movement means the neurons that embed themselves in skeletal muscle are either not functioning properly or are not sufficiently myelinated to send and receive the tiny electrical signals from the brain. Myelination is the development of myelin sheaths that insulate nerve fibers and allow brain transmissions to travel faster along neural pathways. In 2011, a study sought to find a solution to the problem of demyelination of neurons in children with CP. The study focused on levels of folate and vitamin B12. Both of these are vital for the myelinization cycle and the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). SAM is essential in the development of myelin sheaths. The study revealed that children with CP, even those with a gastrostomy feeding tube, were often severely malnourished. Researchers concluded that because muscle movement was compromised, those children may not have received adequate nutrition to allow DNA and neurons to be properly myelinated. (Schoendorfer et al 2012 pg. 768-769) Although this study found that children with CP can have difficulty obtaining sufficient nutrients, there are proven therapy programs that assist in developing skills and abilities necessary for simple movements. These include large and small movements at joints such hands, feet, wrists, ankles, and the jaw.

 

Image 2) Picture of the myelin sheath on the axon of a neuron

 

Cerebral Palsy and Cognitive Ability

While many often connect cerebral palsy with cognitive issues, that is not always the case. Cerebral palsy is a motor impairment disorder that has very little connection with cognitive function. Alternatively, studies connecting malnutrition and reduced cognitive function exist. Researchers in India found that undernourished children were more likely to earn significantly lower scores on intelligence tests. Researchers further explained that during the first two years of life, children experience rapid brain growth. When coupled with malnutrition, brain growth can be stunted and negatively impact development. (Das et al 2023 pg.951) Effects of malnutrition can be seen in utero, but local and governmental programs such as food banks and Women and Infant Children (WIC) strive to provide adequate nutrition. Cerebral palsy patients who experience compromised muscle movement are at risk for malnutrition. When cerebral palsy patients suffer malnutrition, cognitive ability can be compromised.

 

Parents of Cerebral Palsy Diagnosed Children

While having a child diagnosed with cerebral palsy can be extremely difficult for parents, support programs have been beneficial to some. Researchers asked parents to reflect on their experience raising a child with CP and found that most focused on the macrosystem for their child. The macrosystem refers to cultural and societal norms, nationality, and even the legal system that influence a person’s development. Parents in this study often felt there were insufficient community support systems readily available to assist them and their child to be successful. Conversely, some parents were satisfied with the support options available and credited those programs with their child’s success. Parents of CP children also experience relationship issues. Marital strain and social isolation are common among this population of parents. (Reid et al 2011 pg.171-177)

 

Conclusion

While the diagnosis of cerebral palsy can be jarring to receive, it does not have to be devastating to the parents or child. Numerous medical professionals and researchers continue to work tirelessly to learn new and effective ways to address issues such as motor impairment, nutritional deficits, and cognitive dysfunction. In this process, parents are not overlooked. Their sacrifice and dedication are essential in mitigating the challenges their children face. It is important that parents, children and the medical community continue to hold on to hope as experimental treatments and therapies are discovered and implemented in hospitals and clinics around the world.

 

By Aden Holder

I am a Nursing student at Franciscan University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I am hoping to earn a BSN and RN while also pursuing a minor in psychology. Cerebral palsy is a condition near to my heart because my little brother was diagnosed when he was six months old. My parents were unprepared to receive the neurologist’s opinion that their tiny preemie would never walk or live independently. Despite feeling shocked and defeated by the diagnosis, my mother was committed to limiting the negative effects CP would have on his life. Today, he plays varsity baseball, maintains a 3.5 GPA, and has dreams of becoming a lawyer. Cerebral palsy has presented challenges in his life, but he never allowed them to define him. No one would ever look at him today and know he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Final Thoughts

When using blogger for this assignment I found it user friendly and easy to navigate.

Works Cited

Schoendorfer, N. C., Obeid, R., Moxon-Lester, L., Sharp, N., Vitetta, L., Boyd, R. N., & Davies, P. S. W. (2012). Methylation capacity in children with severe cerebral palsy. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 42(7), 768–776. https://doi-org.ezproxy.franu.edu/10.1111/j.1365-2362.2011.02644.x

Das, B. K., & Kaushik, J. S. (2023). Cognitive Development in Children With Malnutrition: A 50-Year Tale. Indian Pediatrics, 60(11), 951–953.

 

Reid, A., Imrie, H., Brouwer, E., Clutton, S., Evans, J., Russell, D., & Bartlett, D. (2011). “If I Knew Then What I Know Now”: Parents’ Reflections on Raising a Child with Cerebral Palsy. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 31(2), 169–183. https://doi-org.ezproxy.franu.edu/10.3109/01942638.2010.540311

 

Baggaley, J., Seiboth, C., Rapley, T., & Basu, A. (2025). From eligibility to diagnosis: candidacy and the complex journey of cerebral palsy diagnosis within primary care. BMC Pediatrics, 25(1), 112. https://doi-org.ezproxy.franu.edu/10.1186/s12887-025-05455-5

 

Silva-Araújo, E. R., Toscano, A. E., Gouveia, H. J. C. B., & Manhães-de-Castro, R. (2024). Riboflavin as a potential new therapeutic agent for perinatal encephalopathies caused by cerebral oxygen deprivation. Nutritional Neuroscience, 1–4. https://doi-org.ezproxy.franu.edu/10.1080/1028415x.2024.2415087

 

Images

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fselfhacked.com%2Fblog%2Fmyelin%2F&psig=AOvVaw1tzR5KTiqPBckY70t2oCEP&ust=1746849931030000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCJDI2KPBlY0DFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE