Help your child deal with stress
Help your child deal with stress
As adults we sometimes overlook what is going on with our children and do not realize that they may be overwhelmed with things going on in their lives. Kids usually appear to be happy and carefree, however they can still experience stress in their everyday lives when dealing with school, extracurricular activities, social lives, ect.. As a parent it is hard to protect our children from everything and stress is one of those things that is usually unavoidable at one point or another, the trick is finding ways to help children deal with it in a safe way.
- Listen to your child– Be open with your child, ask them what might be going on and listen carefully to what they have to say without judgment. Encourage your child to talk about the things that may be bothering them so you can find solutions together.
- Tackle it head on– Help your child to face what is bothering them, for example if they have an upcoming test, have to give a speech in class, having issues with a friend, ect. help your child come up with ways to cope. For example if they have an upcoming test, find ways to make sure they are prepared for the test, if they feel confident that they know the material they are less likely to stress about it. If your child has too many things going on in their lives (such as extracurricular activities), find ways to cut out a few things so they have more daily time. Most people tend to avoid dealing with stressful situations, however the best way to help relieve the stress is to determine what the issue is and face it from the start.
- Think about positive things– We are usually our own worst critic, children are no different, they can easily fall into negative thoughts about themselves or things going on in their lives making a stressful situation much worse. Help to encourage your child daily, focusing on their successes and not on their faults. The more you focus on giving encouragement the more likely your child will remember to stay positive in a stressful situation.
- Be there for your child– Sometimes all your child may need is someone to help take their mind off of things, they may not always be up for talking about what is bothering them and that is okay. If you child knows you are there sometimes that is all they need to relax and move past what is causing them stress.
- Find time to Relax– Figure out what may be causing these bouts of stress and find time to relax. If your child has too many things going on in their lives that is causing unneeded stress you might find ways to reduce it. For example If your child has to many extracurricular activities they may need to cut a few things out, even fun actives can become stressful and no longer fun if you are always rushing . Make sure there is ample amounts of time for everyday life, home work, sleep and fun, find an even balance.
- Have Patience- No one wants to see their child hurting or unhappy, however we as parents cannot always fix every problem our children may have. In some situations it is best to help to guide your child to find their own solutions and finding their own ways of coping. Overtime with a little guidance, encouragement and teaching healthy coping skills your child will learn to find ways to solve their own problems and manage their stress in a healthy way.
I hope these ideas will help in guiding you to encouraging your child on how to better channel their stress. These are simply some ideas we have found helpful in our own household.. This list of ideas are not given from a medial professional, if you have any concerns about your child’s metal state please check with your family physician.
