Stress is a normal part of every person’s life. We all feel stressed due to change or trying to cope up with challenges. You may see your children going through stress at times. As a parent, it’s quite natural for us to worry and not want our children to take stress. Through this blog, you can learn about the common causes for stress in children and how you can help them overcome it..

Understanding Stress 

When your child is preparing for exams, any competition or tournament in which your child is participating, you may see them nervous or stressed. This kind of stress leads to positive boost, builds focus in the children to achieve their goal. But if the stress lasts longer i.e. you see your child in stress regularly or he/she gets overwhelmed easily even at smallest of events, then such a situation can be harmful for their mental and physical health.

How to Recognize the Signs of Stress

Kids may not always speak up about their emotions, hence it becomes important to observe their behavior. If you notice any of the below signs then there is a likelihood of them going through stress. 

Physical Health:

Look for following signs in your child- 

• Do you see your child complaining of a headache or stomach ache often? 
• Do you see them feeling tired without any signs of illness?
• Are they not eating properly?

Emotional Health:

Look for following signs in your child- 

• Are they getting irritated easily? 
• Do you see a lot of mood swings in your child?
• Is your child turning quiet or withdrawing away from people around him?

Behavior Changes:

Look for following signs in your child- 

• Is your child avoiding school? 
• Do you see them underperforming in academics suddenly?
• Are they facing difficulty in sleeping?
• Do you see them crying often?

If you notice any of these signs, then these could be potential symptoms that your child is going through stress. 

Why Stress Occurs in Children and What we can do in such situations

1. Performance Pressure in School: 

Remember, we all were kids and we have been in the similar ride as are our kids. With age, the academic syllabus starts growing and becomes demanding. Multiple tests, class programes, homework etc. turns out to be quite overwhelming for kids as they progress. 

We often end up comparing our children with their peers or siblings, which may hamper their confidence 

Tip to manage such situation – 

Try to provide a supportive and positive environment and let the children know that they are entering into the real world of education. 

Keep reminding them that it’s absolutely okay to feel overwhelmed at times. Share your journey, talk about what challenges you faced to lighten their mood.!

2. Family Environment: 

There may be days when you and your spouse fight, negative emotions flow in the family. If there are multiple kids at home, then liking or prefer towards any one more. Children are big time observants, so if a child observes any of such events which are not healthy then you may see them sad and stressed 

Tip to manage such situation – 

Observe your child’s behavior if they turn more quiet or are seen becoming nervous quickly. Evaluate if the environment in the house is happy and friendly or is it sad? 

Try to keep a cheerful environment in the house, plan some off time with family, go for a vacation if possible. This will help your child in becoming happier slowly 

3. Societal Challenges: 

If the child is bullied in school or is made to feel left out by his peers or parents of other children speak negative words to your child, then slowly the child starts showing signs of being stressed – he could be seen resisting going out with friends, meeting people. 

Tip to manage such situation – 

You are your child’s first friend. Become his best friend so that they never feel left out. Discuss about their day at school or day with friends, what activities they performed, how was their interaction with teachers. Understand from their teachers as well about how your child is at school. This will help you in proactively assessing your child’s mental and emotional health

Provide them reassurance that you are with them at all times. Take them out for physical activity, help them in making friends so that they develop a sense of belonging

4. Too many Activities: 

In this era of digital parenting, we often pack our child’s schedule with multiple extracurricular activities, social gatherings, tuitions etc. This leads to a lot of pressure in their mind to perform at all places which may convert into stress 

Tip to manage such situation – 

Understand how much your child can take. Every child is special and has its own speed. Do not put too much on plate that they are unable to cope up and balance things. 

Let them enjoy whatever they are doing because when they enjoy it, their confidence level will boost up. They will perform their best

5. Exposure to Non-Age Appropriate Media: 

With easy internet and technology availability, children are exposed to a lot of information which is non-age appropriate This can overwhelm kids and lead to stress

Tip to manage such situation – 

Try to limit their screen time and give them age appropriate media only for consumption. There are Apps available which have entertainment and education at the same time. You can try Kinzy App for providing such interface to your kids

Bonus Tip

Get your child to do some simple relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, light yoga, meditation, listen to relaxing music etc. to help them manage stress

Shower them with hugs and love because love is the best medicine for every illness 

Should I consult a specialist?

Absolutely Yes, go ahead and consult your child’s pediatrician or child psychologist for guidance if you don’t see any signs of improvement.

It is always good to seek advice from an expert to avoid situation from getting worse

Final Thoughts

It’s natural to get stressed due to this fast changing environment. As a parent, it is important for us to remain patient while dealing with our children. Teach them coping skills and provide reassurance. This could help your child in navigating through stress with ease

Thanks for reading, And also tell us if you found this blog helpful by commenting below!

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