“Why does my mom always have to get sick? » (Sherkin 8). For children, a seriously ill parent can feel like the end of the world, and in some ways it is; it is the end of the happy and carefree childhood they had known before. Children are exposed to long hours of hospitalization and the emotions of parents and family members. In short, stress is usually more than children can handle without guidance. It puts a strain on children's lives and affects their minds, bodies, behavior and interactions with others. The effects are not only felt now, but also in the future. What is stress? It is a “response to any situation or factor that creates a negative emotional or physical change, or both” (Stress IN Child). Stress manifests itself in many forms and varies among individuals, depending on factors such as the child's developmental level and previous life experience (stress and young children). In small amounts, stress is good; it can motivate someone and help them be more productive. However, excessive stress can harm life, activities and health. Stress can affect the way people think, act and feel, but even more so in children. “…Stress is not just physical or physiological; it's emotional and cognitive, behavioral, and most of the time it's how you perceive what stress is. . . it’s going to be individual” (Burleson). How individual can a child's stress be? Stress can actually fall into one of three categories: positive, tolerable, and toxic stress. According to Burleson, positive stress is short-lived, that is, unwanted reactions that children can overcome with the support of caring parents. This type of stress is considered normal and dealing with it is an important part of development...... middle of paper ......9. .McCue, Kathleen. How to help children facing the serious illness of a parent. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1996. Print. Middlebrooks, Jennifer S. and Natalie C. Audage. The effects of childhood stress on health across the lifespan. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2008. Print. Sherkin-Langer, Ferne. When mom is sick. Morton Grove, Ill: A. Whitman, 1995. “Stress and Young Children” in print. To Health Mental Health. Internet. October 16, 2009. “Stress in children”. RightHealth: Quality health information curated for you. Ed. Neil K. Kaneshiro. May 8, 2008. the web. March 10. 2010. .