Stress Management for Kids

By Vishal | No Comments

If you feel that stress is something that only adults face, then you need to think again. Stress is not something that is faced by only those who have a job or face the responsibilities of maintaining a certain livelihood. It can be experienced by anyone on whom situations create a higher demand on physical, emotional or intellectual resources than they can handle. So a child can face stress at the thought of meeting an uncle who troubles him or criticizes him or at the prospect of getting the report card since he feels that he will be rebuked for bad grades.

It is important to realize that kids can also face stressful situations and therefore get stressed out because only then will you be aware of the fact that you need to be on the look out for symptoms of stress. This becomes more important in cases where the child cannot communicate and explain that he is feeling stressful and why he is feeling so. The symptoms of stress in such a child manifest themselves in more physical ways and a child suffering from prolonged stress may get frequent bouts of influenza, stomachache, headache or nausea. Some children start bed wetting even after they have been trained and may become cling more to parents or cry more often. What you need to look out for is any symptom that is different from normal. For example, if your otherwise calm and composed child starts having bouts of anger or starts to become more melodramatic or if your active child becomes listless and develops introvert characteristics it is a cause of concern and should be looked into.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that if your child is lagging behind in class or has changed his set of friends he is getting into drugs or other such situations. An investigation into the matter is needed before you can jump to conclusions.

There are many things that parents can do to help their kids manage stress in a better way. The first thing to do is to try and de-stress yourself. If you are facing troubled times at work, try and not bring the problem home to your family. Remain motivated and humorous and create a happy environment at home. This is especially important because children learn by example and if you bet stressed out, there are chances that they will emulate you whenever a challenging situation presents itself to them.

Secondly, ensure that they have a proper diet and do not indulge in too much junk food like sweets, soft drinks and refined foods. Healthy children who have the adequate amounts of nutrients that their body needs can combat stressful situation in a much better manner.

Try and remove all situations that can cause stress. Don’t give confusing signals to your child based on how your mood is on a particular day. If you scold your child for something on one day and allow the same behavior or laugh at it on another day because you are in the mood to indulge him, he will get confusing signals. Children do not understand that you are behaving in the manner that you do because of your mental situation and cannot process gray signals either. They live in a black and white world where there is either a wrong or a right. They cannot process ‘right in certain situation bit wrong at other times’ easily. To avoid contradictory signals make a set of rules and communicate them clearly to your child. These rules should not change each day and should be consistent and so it is essential that you give some thought to them before freezing them.

Help your child understand that everyone makes mistakes and making a mistake is not something to get stressed about. As long as it is appreciated that the child has made a mistake, it is okay. Avoid strict punishments that can cause distress and pain. To convince your child that this is in fact the case, try and be humble enough to accept your mistakes when you make them.

If you find that your child is stressed, try and ensure that he gets a fair amount of physical exercise in the form of games like punch balls, catch and provide him with option of cycling around the block. Avoid hours in front of the television or the computer since such activities provide no physical release.

Listen to your child and try and draw him out of a tense situation. Be encouraging while he talks and do not snub him when he wants to communicate. Don’t trivialize matters that he may want to discuss. Things that may appear simple to you may be gargantuan tasks for a little one. Also do not underestimate the power of a loving touch. Hug your child as often as you can and let him know in more ways than one that he is cared for and loved irrespective of anything. This can distress your child and make him feel secure that he shall be loved no matter what. Other than distressing, unconditional love can also make your child grow into a confident and independent person.

Last but not the least, you could also teach your older child some de-stressing exercises and techniques like breathing. Meditation is not suitable for children since it requires higher levels of mental control but most kids can learn yoga exercises and breathing exercises. A weekly oil bath is also an effective way to manage stress. Even adults can benefit greatly from it.

Posted in Stress Management