These symptoms may come and go. Sometimes, a child can cope perfectly well, and at other times feel very anxious. Young children can t tell you that they are anxious. Instead, they become irritable, tearful and clingy. Difficulty getting off to sleep can be a sign of anxiety, as can waking in the night and bad dreams.
Anxiety can even cause a child to develop a stomach-ache or to feel sick.
Young children feel insecure when they hear their parents arguing or fighting. They may be asked to take sides or comfort a parent, and feel divided loyalties. They usually love both parents and can t understand why they cannot live together. They often have divided loyalties. They may think it is their fault that the parents have separated.