My dh and I occasionally have disagreements about things (no more than any other couple I'd imagine), but when we do we raise our voices at each other. It is a habit we have both developed because of the way we were raised, not a measure of how angry we are at each other. Our dd is 2, and when anyone raises their voice around her she cries, screams, shakes her head and stamps her feet. Today when I was answering dh from another room in a loud voice, she put her hands over her ears and got really distressed.

Is this a normal kind of reaction for little ones? I feel terrible every time I use a loud voice now. We try not to argue in front of her, it's definitely not something that happens often, but sometimes its difficult to get away from her to have a discussion. We are both aware of how much this is effecting her and are trying not to used loud voices around her but it is a hard habit to break. I am really worried that somewhere in the last year we have somehow traumatised her. Has anyone else had this experience?