Five ways to help your child deal with stress
Like adults, children of all ages struggle with stress. Preschoolers may worry
about separation from mom and dad or monsters under their bed, while older kids
may feel stress about fitting in at school or getting good grades. Friends, social
pressures, romance and the future are all common stressors for teens.
In addition, kids’ stress may be intensified by more than just what’s happening in their own lives. Divorce, the loss of a loved one or world news including natural disasters, war and terrorism can add to their stress.
If you think your kids are stressed,
teach these five techniques to help them cope:
1.
Get support. When your kids need help, instruct them to reach out to people who care including a parent, close friend, school counselor or coach. Remind kids to ask for the helping hand or pat on the back they need — and deserve — to get through the tough situations they face.
2.
Label feelings. Teach your children
to notice their feelings and name them. Then, help them find ways to calm down,
get past the upset feelings and talk to a trusted adult. That way, your kids
can talk through the situations that caused difficult feelings.
3.
Incorporate stress management techniques. Things like breathing exercises, listening to music, writing in
a journal, playing with a pet, or going for a walk or bike ride can help kids shift
to a better mood.
4.
Try to solve the problem. Once your children are calm and have the support they need, help them figure out what the problem is and what steps they can take to solve it. Even if they can’t solve the entire problem, maybe they can begin by solving a piece of it.
5.
Be positive — most stress is temporary. It may not seem like it when you’re in the middle of a stressful situation, but stress does go away. Stress often starts to fade when your kids figure out the problem and start working on solving it.
Link to Inside Children’s blog post: https://inside.akronchildrens.org/2016/05/16/5-steps-for-fighting-stress/