As the third child in “My precious little one” displayed dual personality behavior, Dr. Oh Eun-young expressed concern about childhood depression.
On the broadcast of Channel A's 'Recent Parenting - My Precious Little One' on 2nd, the story of 'You must maintain the hierarchy! The unruly Oh siblings' was revealed.
On that day, the eldest, seeing the third child sitting in their seat, exclaimed, “Hey, why are you sitting at my desk?” and got angry. The unique display of power was attributed to the mother asking the eldest to watch over the younger siblings on her behalf. In response, Dr. Oh Eun-young referred to the third child as having 'middle child syndrome,' indicating their ambiguous position.
Afterwards, while the mother went out to do the recycling, the third child brought the younger siblings into the living room and instructed them to follow their lead. When the younger siblings failed to focus, the third child shouted, in a tone similar to that of the strict eldest sister, “Look at me! Come here!” to draw their attention.
In a dramatic turn of events, the youngest one fell and cried. The third child then hugged and soothed the youngest, exhibiting a 'lend and return' behavior. Subsequently, the third child hit their fourth younger sibling, who is two years younger, pressuring them into a corner. Eventually, when the fourth sibling began to cry, the third child comforted them again, but when the mother returned, they silenced everyone and startled them.
Dr. Oh Eun-young paused the video and asked, “When you’re with the fourth and fifth siblings, there’s a strict atmosphere. They cry when they don't listen. Then when the younger sibling cries, suddenly you hug them. How are you observing this?” The mother of the third child responded, “I feel like if I leave the room, I should manage the younger siblings, almost playing the role of a mother.”
In response, Dr. Oh Eun-young explained, “Children originally learn through imitation. But when children imitate, they generally mimic what appears to be good. Of course, if they are continuously exposed to bad things, they might unconsciously adopt those behaviors.”
In other words, repeated exposure to a violent environment means that, though they dislike it, they unknowingly learn those behaviors. Dr. Oh Eun-young analyzed, “The older sister sets the rules, and the third child follows those rules. They also imitate the mother's behavior. The way they comfort the younger siblings reflects the mother's behavior.”
Moreover, the third child expressed concern about having no 'self.' Through a drawing test, Dr. Oh Eun-young asked them to draw a “tree,” but the third child drew a tree floating in the air like a balloon. Normally, the trunk and roots of a tree symbolize self-image, but the tree was portrayed as thin and fragile. “The roots of 'self' need to be firmly grounded, but in this regards, they seem to be floating, not knowing who they are, which can be interpreted as their current state,” she explained.
Meanwhile, the third child showed difficulty socializing with friends at the daycare, instead following the teacher around and immediately displaying sadness when the teacher was gone. Dr. Oh Eun-young noted, “The teacher is much more important than peers at this age, whereas normally, peers are considered far more important. It seems that the relationship with an adult fulfilling a caregiver role is more significant. They are sensing, 'How can I earn love from this teacher?'”
Dr. Oh Eun-young continued, “The problem comes when the teacher is not around, causing a rapid decline in this child's emotional state, leading them to withdraw and lie down. They seem very dejected. From just this scene, it wouldn't be unreasonable to categorize it as childhood depression. The child looks extremely sad, experiencing an emotional hunger. They are thirsty for attention, feeling a void in love.”
Dr. Oh Eun-young particularly emphasized, “There is a desperate need for warm contact, care, and reaction from the mother.”
[Photo] Capture from the broadcast screen of 'Recent Parenting - My Precious Little One'
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