What Do Children Find Most Stressful?
Stress is not something that only exists for adults. Children actually face a large amount of stress as well. There are a number of things that stress children out and actually cause them to feel out of place and disconnected with the world. You may never even know that your child is suffering from stress, as they don’t always tend to voice it directly.
If you detect that your child is feeling stressed, it is important that you talk to them and try to identify what exactly is going on. Helping them learn to deal with stress is better than allowing it to just ride itself out.
Here are some tips on recognising factors that may cause stress for your child.
1. School
How does your child find school? From their first day at school and throughout their school careers, there are many aspects of school life that can be testing. Whether it’s getting used to a new teacher, finding their way around school, making friends or achieving grades, there’s a lot for a child to navigate. Remember to ask your child how they are feeling about school. What’s going on in the classroom? What subjects make them anxious? What things do they enjoy? Is everything ok amongst them and their friends? Chat to them and give time and space for them to share.
2. Home life
Modern life is busy and families have to juggle many pressures which can spill over in to their home lives. It can be easy to think that children are oblivious to the broader challenges of life, but in actual fact, children can be very sensitive to the worries and stresses of their parents. From money concerns, a death in the family, or times of quarrelling between their parents/carers – children can become worried or concerned. Even though they may not express it, the stress is still there. Of course, life is never without it’s difficulties, but try to do all you can to chat some things through with your children. It’s not always appropriate to discuss everything with them, but find appropriate ways to talk to them, reassure them or enable them to talk about their worries. Try to keep the emotional volume of your home life at an even level.
3. Losing Weight
There is a great deal of magazine and blog space devoted to writing about health, exercise and body image. For girls and boys, they will begin to notice that people place a large emphasis on how they eat, drink, and carry yourself. This may cause triggers for stress – especially as they enter the teenage years. Whilst we can’t eliminate these pressures, we can help children receive these messages helpfully. Be aware of potential disorders that can arise, but also remember that not every child is destined for an eating disorder (which are often caused by a combination of complex issues). Gently foster a positive attitude about food and healthy eating. Look for opportunities to talk about it, but without making it in to a major issue. Keep the focus on healthy eating, activity and exercise and how to make healthy choices.
Read more about stress and children
Is your child depressed?
Dealing with anger
Help your child deal with exam stress
Eating disorders explained
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