When we talk about “containment” in the psychoanalytic sense, we are talking about the parent’s ability to contain the infant’s anxiety, anger, and other strong feelings.

And this is one of the most important things we as parents can do.

Wilfred Bion, a brilliant British psychoanalyst, talked about how important it is for the mother (or father) to stay relatively calm when the baby is upset. He said that this is the way that the baby eventually learns how to tolerate his or her own upset.

He explained that it is crucial for parents not to be overwhelmed when their babies and toddlers become anxious or........

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