Helping Your Child Manage Stress
Stress. Whether you are an adult or a child, we have all gone through stress at some point in our lives. Children go through stress on a variety of different levels. There are family stressors, social stressors, and school stressors. For children, however, it is more difficult to spot stress. If you have a young child, they are not likely to walk up to you and say “Mom, Dad, I am feeling stressed out because…” Here are some things to look out for to determine if your child is experiencing stress:
- Acting Out: Often children will become moody and have low frustration tolerance.
- Withdrawing: When stressed, children may retreat and want to spend less time with friends or family and more time alone.
- Emotional: Children may cry over little things or seemingly nothing at all.
- Difficulty Sleeping: Children may have difficulty falling or staying asleep and may complain of being tired (more than usual).
- Somatic Symptoms: Children often complain of headaches, stomachaches, or nausea.
Too often these symptoms are overlooked or not taken seriously. The best way to help your children is to COMMUNICATE! What this does not mean is telling your child what to do or to “get over it.” What is does mean is to LISTEN. A child’s #1 complaint is that they do not feel as though they are being heard by their parents (especially teenagers). As a result, they do not want to talk to their parents, fearing ridicule, lecturing, or minimizing of their problems. So what can you do? Here are some tips to help reduce your child’s stress and to be there for them:
- Listen: Just be there. Do not immediately offer advice unless your child asks for it. Allow him or her a chance to vent and provide empathetic responses (“I can see how that could stress you out.”). Set aside some time at least once a week to check in with your children and find out how school is going, friendships, etc.
- Allow for breaks and fun time: If your child has a lot of homework, “chunk” it and allow them to take 15 minutes breaks for every certain amount of time they spend on homework ( example: every hour). Plan fun outings on the weekends or spend a day inside watching movies.
- Extracurricular activities: Have your child become involved in activities outside of school, but DON’T OVERSCHEDULE! You child needs a mental break and to be around kids in a fun setting. Exercise allows for stress relief.
- Journaling: Have your child keep a journal that he or she can write in when stressed. This allows him or her to “get it out,” instead of letting stress build up inside.
These are just some examples. If you believe your child is overly stressed or anxious, seek professional assistance.
- Acting Out: Often children will become moody and have low frustration tolerance.
- Withdrawing: When stressed, children may retreat and want to spend less time with friends or family and more time alone.
- Emotional: Children may cry over little things or seemingly nothing at all.
- Difficulty Sleeping: Children may have difficulty falling or staying asleep and may complain of being tired (more than usual).
- Somatic Symptoms: Children often complain of headaches, stomachaches, or nausea.
Too often these symptoms are overlooked or not taken seriously. The best way to help your children is to COMMUNICATE! What this does not mean is telling your child what to do or to “get over it.” What is does mean is to LISTEN. A child’s #1 complaint is that they do not feel as though they are being heard by their parents (especially teenagers). As a result, they do not want to talk to their parents, fearing ridicule, lecturing, or minimizing of their problems. So what can you do? Here are some tips to help reduce your child’s stress and to be there for them:
- Listen: Just be there. Do not immediately offer advice unless your child asks for it. Allow him or her a chance to vent and provide empathetic responses (“I can see how that could stress you out.”). Set aside some time at least once a week to check in with your children and find out how school is going, friendships, etc.
- Allow for breaks and fun time: If your child has a lot of homework, “chunk” it and allow them to take 15 minutes breaks for every certain amount of time they spend on homework ( example: every hour). Plan fun outings on the weekends or spend a day inside watching movies.
- Extracurricular activities: Have your child become involved in activities outside of school, but DON’T OVERSCHEDULE! You child needs a mental break and to be around kids in a fun setting. Exercise allows for stress relief.
- Journaling: Have your child keep a journal that he or she can write in when stressed. This allows him or her to “get it out,” instead of letting stress build up inside.
These are just some examples. If you believe your child is overly stressed or anxious, seek professional assistance.
Labels: Children and Stress
