Most of us wish our children could experience
childhood as a carefree and joyous time. But, in
reality, we know they may experience failure,
frustration and many challenges.
Stress related problems can emerge when a
child: experiences difficulty succeeding in daily
tasks, is unable to meet our or their own
expectations, or is dealing with challenges out of
their control. Unlike an adult, a child cannot
change jobs, ask for a transfer, or move out of
the house! A child must remain in the situation
and continue to try and function. He is expected
to learn to read, tie his shoes, get along with
peers and sit quietly in class, despite personal
challenges.
Your child's reaction to stress will be determined
by personality style, age, the source of the
stress, and rather the stress is short lived or
faced over a long period of time. Your child may
exhibit physical reactions such as headaches or
stomach aches. Toileting accidents, and more
frequent physical illnesses are common. Your
child's ability to concentrate or sleep may be
affected. There may be frequent or unexplained
emotional outbursts.
"Research indicates that the negative impact of
stress is more profound on children who
are younger than age 10, have a genetic
temperament that is "slow-to-warm-up" or
"difficult," were born premature, are male, have
limited cognitive capacity, or have experienced
prenatal stress (Monk etal.,2000)." ( 1 )
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Here are several great ideas that other parents
have found useful in helping their children
manage stress. You may need to experiment to
determine which techniques work best for your
child.
1. Help your child learn the vocabulary to express
his or her feelings, and then encourage talking
about these feelings!
2. Prepare your child for changes or stress
evoking events; for example, the birth of a sibling
or changing schools.
3. Teach relaxation techniques such as deep
breathing.
4. Model how to draw pictures as a way to
express feelings, or how to keep a journal.
5. Teach positive self talk.
6. Spend time with a special pet. Caring for a pet
can be a great stress reliever.
7. Help your child develop friendships and spend
time with other children.
8. Make sure your child has adequate time to
play and relax.
9. Listen, listen, listen!
10.Strive for a consistent and predictable
schedule.
11.Take care of yourself! Monitor and manage
your own stress levels.
Teaching your child techniques for effective
stress management is a precious gift of love!
But, if you find these techniques aren't solving the
problem, seek professional assistance. Your
child's well being may depend on it!
(1 )
http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/
childstress.html
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