Mental Health in Toddlerhood: The Dynamic Balance of Anxiety, Autonomy, and Attachment

This chapter describes core themes in the emotional life of the toddler, with a focus on the construct of secure base as an internalized behavioral mechanism that enables the child to tolerate fear and anxiety by experimenting with the balance between freedom to explore and safety in relationships in the context of cultural expectations and family and social circumstances. The chapter endeavors to present an integration of clinical insights with the research literature on brain development and executive function as the biological underpinnings of the rapid acquisition of new competencies and skills. Normative anxieties of toddlerhood will be described as expectable emotional milestones characteristic of this age. The relevance of these themes to mental health problems in toddlerhood will be discussed in the context of parenting practices and environmental risk factors.