Today’s children and teens experience a great deal of stress and anxiety. From academic pressures to negative self-images, modern-day children take on a lot. Parents must learn how to recognize, understand, and support a stressed child.
Parents and caregivers must learn to recognize the telltale signs of stress and anxiety. They should keep in mind that children are sometimes more comfortable opening up to counselors, teachers, religious leaders, and other specialists. Resources to Recover offers parents guidance, support, and information to families dealing with stress, anxiety, and mental illness.
Issues such as unsafe environments, family instability, chronic illness, death, financial burdens, school changes, and moves can also have a dramatic impact on a child’s mental health. On top of that, children’s stress can sometimes stem from over-the-top societal and parental expectations.
Children respond to stress in different ways. They may cry, act out, or find it difficult to concentrate. Others may develop unhealthy eating or sleeping habits. Older children may even use illicit substances to help them cope. As parents and caregivers, it is our job to notice sudden changes in our children’s behaviors.
Acute stress is quick and dissipating. Meanwhile, chronic stress can last for months or even years. Parents must be able to differentiate between these two types of pressures. Children must learn to cope with everyday challenges and build resilience. However, lasting, debilitating stress often requires more intervention.
Fortunately, there are plenty of practical steps parents and caregivers can take to help stressed and anxious children. They can start by regularly checking in with their child. What’s more, they can make sure to give their children plenty of reassurance and love. Parents should never be afraid to reach out for help. In many cases, struggling households can benefit from outside assistance.
Researchers have worked to identify the most common signs and causes of stress and anxiety in children. WeTheParents has compiled 12 of the most common sources of childhood stress into one easy-to-read infographic. It even includes seven actionable stress-busting tips for parents and several stress-busting tips for kids and teens. Here it is.
About the Author: Neve Spicer is the founder and editor of WeTheParents, a warm and relatable parenting guide based on strong scientific evidence. Previously a primary school teacher and mental health professional, she advocates for mental wellbeing both for children and parents.
Photo by Doğukan Şahin on Unsplash
The opinions and views expressed in any guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of www.rtor.org or its sponsor, Laurel House, Inc. The author and www.rtor.org have no affiliations with any products or services mentioned in the article or linked to therein. Guest Authors may have affiliations to products mentioned or linked to in their author bios only.
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Really helpful article, Neve! Stress among children is often ignored by their parents. We need to tell our children that it’s okay to be imperfect and stop pressurizing them over petty things. We should encourage them to face their fears and reward them with praise, a hug, or even something tangible like a sticker or a small treat to motivate such behavior in the future.
A much-needed awareness post for parents and teachers! It is quite dangerous when children suffer from chronic stress. Parents play an essential role in dealing with children’s anxiety and stress. I suggest visiting a therapist or a counselor when they witness signs of anxiety or stress in their kids.