Children’s lives are increasingly influenced by stress which makes stress management for them an important topic for parents to know about. Stress is an integral part of grownups’ lives nowadays, but it is, alas, increasingly a part of kids’ lives as well. It is important to identify the problem, determine what may be the cause, and then take steps to help a child feel better. Child stress has several causes and can be addressed in the same way as adult stress.
What is the cause of children’s stress today?
In a typical adult’s day, several factors create anxiety, including noise (stimulation from televisions, computers, cell phones, and other constant sources of information); traffic; and balancing work responsibilities, multiple activities, and family obligations. Our society is busy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The need for quiet downtime is even more crucial for children who can easily be stressed by noise and commotion.
There are a lot of things that can lead to anxiety in children, including education and after-school activities, being pressured to succeed (outside or within themselves), family changes and conflict, and a variety of other factors.
Stress in Children: Signs and Symptoms
Stress and anxiety are often difficult to express to children, especially younger ones. An adult should pay close attention to a child if anything significant has changed in their life, such as moving or getting a new sibling. There are several signs of stress in children, including:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Having headaches
- Behavior changes
- Suffering from mood swings
- Problems sleeping
- Concentration problems at school
- Excessive irritability
- Relationship breakdowns
- Performance in the classroom has decreased
- Motivation is low
Regardless of your ability to pinpoint a particular cause of stress, your child may be experiencing stress as a result of something that goes on at school or from another source you are not aware of.
Be alert for any signs of problematic behavior in their behavior and moods. Observe how your child interacts with friends and family members at school and ask teachers how they are doing.
Children and young people’s stress management
Stress affects all of us, regardless of our circumstances. To stop it from becoming unmanageable, you and your child can work together on effective ways of coping. Here are a few examples:
- Get in touch with someone – Speaking with someone about how you feel can make you feel better almost instantly. You will only feed your stress and anxiety if you bottle them up.
- Keeping a journal – Writing about your feelings, even privately, can relieve pressure. In addition to helping you make sense of your feelings, writing down your thoughts will allow you to put them into perspective. By writing it down, you can figure out step-by-step how to proceed.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle – Staying active is a no-brainer. You can release feel-good endorphins by exercising, which is one of the best ways to de-stress. Exercise for the sake of exercising, instead of finding an activity you enjoy.
- Take time to socialize with your family and friends – Having a good time with family and friends helps you forget about things. There are times when it can be even worse when you spend a lot of time alone with your thoughts. Your friends and family are important parts of your life, and spending time with them is fun.
- Get involved in an activity you love – Participate in something you love. Playing football might be your favorite pastime, or maybe you like painting. Whatever your life outside of school looks like, you need something to remind you of it!
- Taking care of yourself is essential – Accepting your feelings of stress is important. There’s nothing wrong with it, after all. Make yourself feel like you were your best friend rather than punishing yourself (which will only worsen matters). To manage the situation, what steps would you recommend they take?
How to handle child stress as a parent
If your child is feeling something, it’s worth discussing it with them, even if they can’t articulate it in “grown-up” terms. Make sure you ask them about things that they might be worried about or that are making them feel bad. Stress and anxiety are often tricky terms for younger children to comprehend.
