Helping Your Child Deal with Stress
Young people's stress doesn't always appear the same as stress in adults. But just like adults, children, and teenagers—even those who have had tragedies that have changed their lives—can learn appropriate coping mechanisms. Young people can learn to recognize the symptoms of excessive stress and, with the correct tools, manage it with the help of their parents or other caregivers.
Stress-causing factors for young children
Young children frequently experience stress from conflict at home. For instance, family strife, divorce, or loss may cause children distress. Even positive transitions, like moving into a new house, having a new sibling, or meeting a new stepparent, can be difficult for a child.
Another typical concern for children is school. The stress of making friends, avoiding bullies, or getting along with their teachers can affect young children. They might also experience stress related to exams and grades.
Sources of stress in teens
Children's causes of stress increase as they get older. Young children are less prone than teenagers to experience stress as a result of things that happen outside the family.
Since the start of the pandemic, emergency rooms have seen an upsurge in visits for kids ages 12 to 17 due to self-harm, drug poisonings, and eating problems.
Peers can both reduce and increase stress, depending on the situation. Adolescence is a crucial time for social connections. Teenagers frequently worry about dating, fitting in, and the peer pressure to use drugs and engage in sex.
Recognize the signs of stress
Stress symptoms in youth can manifest in a number of ways, including:
Irritability and anger: Children sometimes struggle to express their emotions in words, and this tension can spill over into irritability and rage. Children and teenagers who are stressed out may be more irritable or argumentative than usual.
Behavioral shifts: A young child who was once a good listener is now acting out. A formerly active teen is reluctant to leave the house today. Unexpected changes may indicate high levels of stress.
Sleeping difficulties: A young kid or adolescent may complain of being constantly tired, sleeping more than usual, or having trouble falling asleep at night.
Ignoring responsibilities: If an adolescent starts delaying more than usual, forgetting assignments, or otherwise neglecting tasks, stress may be to blame.
Changes in dietary habits: Stress can cause people to eat excessively or insufficiently.
Getting sick more often: Physical symptoms of stress are common. Children who are under stress frequently complain of headaches or stomachaches and may visit the school nurse's office frequently.
Stress management for children and adolescents
Stressors are a part of life for both adults and children. These techniques can aid in managing stress:
Sleeping well. For both physical and emotional health, sleep is crucial. For children aged 6 to 12, professionals advise 9 to 12 hours of sleep per night. Teens need eight to ten hours of sleep per night. To keep stress under control, sleep must come first. Limit screen time at night and stay away from using electronics in bed to protect your sleep.
Exercise. For people of all ages, exercise is a crucial form of stress reduction. Children ages 6 to 17 should engage in physical activity for at least 60 minutes each day, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Discuss it. Talking about difficult circumstances with a dependable adult can assist children and teenagers in gaining perspective and identifying solutions.
Make time for relaxation and fun. Kids and teenagers need time to do what makes them happy, whether that's unscheduled time to play with building blocks or uninterrupted hours to practice music or art. This goes for both kids and teenagers and applies to both. Additionally, although some kids enjoy switching between activities, others require more downtime. Strike a healthy balance between your leisure time and favorite pastimes.
Step outdoors. One of the best ways to reduce stress and enhance general wellbeing is to spend time in nature. According to research, those who live in locations with more green space experience less stress, anxiety, and depression.
Write about it. Writing about oneself can help alleviate mental distress and enhance wellbeing, according to research. For instance, some studies have shown that writing about good feelings, such the things you're glad for or proud of, might lessen the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Develop mindfulness. In a study of a 5-week mindfulness training program for 13 to 18-year-olds, researchers discovered that youth who acquired mindfulness experienced much less emotional anguish than teens who did not learn mindfulness.
Tips for parents to help
Parents and other caregivers have an important part to play, by adopting their own healthy habits and helping children and teens find stress-managing strategies. Some actions parents can take:
Model healthy coping. Children can discuss how they've thought about and handled stressful circumstances with their caregivers.
Let kids be problem-solvers. It's normal to want to help your children with their issues. However, when parents jump in to fix every small issue, their kids are deprived of the opportunity to develop effective coping mechanisms. Allowing your kids to attempt to resolve their low-stakes difficulties on their own will give them more self-assurance that they can handle pressure and disappointments.
Encourage media literacy. Most adolescents’ time these days is spent online, where they risk coming across problematic material, cyberbullying, or peer pressure through social media. Parents may assist by limiting screen time and educating their kids how to be informed digital consumers.
Combat negative thinking. “I’m terrible at math.” “I hate my hair.” “I’ll never make the team. Why try out?” Negative thinking is an easy trap for children and teenagers to slip into. Contradicting negative self-talk in children is not enough, though. Remind them of times they worked hard and improved or ask them to thoroughly consider whether what they are saying is true. They will become more resilient to stress if they learn to frame things favorably.
Professional Help
When a particular problem, such as worry, inattention, sadness, etc., becomes substantial enough to interfere with "normal" life, professional help should be sought, according to a simple but nonetheless useful dictum used in the primary care area regarding mental health conditions. The details and tools provided here might be adequate for younger kids and those with minor issues. An adjunct may be play therapy or conversation therapy. The most promising treatment for older kids with more serious issues is cognitive behavioral therapy.
Severe anxiety may occasionally call for medication. It shouldn't be regarded as a remedy, though. Patients with anxiety problems who only take medicine don't do as well as those who also learn how to train their minds to deal with inevitable stress and anxiety of life.
Sources and Helpful Links:
https://www.northshore.org/healthy-you/how-to-approach-childhood-stress-and-anxiety/
https://www.apa.org/topics/child-development/stress
https://www.checkupnewsroom.com/4-strategies-to-help-your-child-handle-stress/
https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/camh.12057
This blog post was contributed by Rand Batarseh of SexEdVA, a division of James Madison University working to support sexual health education, family life programming, and positive youth development across Virginia. To inquire about partnering with them or to find out more, visit www.sexedva.org or email them at jmuarp@jmu.edu.
This publication was made possible by Grant Number TP1AH000215 from the HHS Office of Population Affairs. Contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Health and Human Services or the Office of Population Affairs