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Makeover your Child’s Reaction to Stress—The Benefits will Last a Lifetime!
By Patti Teel

Many, if not most of our children’s problems come from their inability to deal with stress in a healthy way. But a child is unlikely to know when he or she is overstressed, and it’s up to you to watch for tell-tale signs which may include difficulties with sleep, health, mood, and learning.

Physical symptoms of stress or anxiety in children can include many signs: recurring headaches, stomach pain and nausea, sleep disturbances, nightmares, bedwetting, decreased appetite, and stuttering. And there’s also emotional symptoms of stress or anxiety in children that manifests itself in some behaviors you can recognize: moodiness, difficulty with concentration, scary thoughts, a tendency to worry a lot, low self-esteem, restlessness, clinging, aggression, stubbornness, not wanting to participate in family or school activities, or being easily upset.

If parents suspect that their child is overstressed or anxious, they would be wise to simplify their child’s life by cutting back on extracurricular activities and creating a home environment that is a sanctuary from the outside world. Each child is unique and even in the same family the number of activities that could be overwhelming for one child, might be quite comfortable for another. 

However, it’s never possible to eliminate stress completely, and we cannot (and should not) protect our children from every difficult experience. We can, though, help our children to recognize and face their anxious feelings and react to them in a healthy way. 

Ways to Help Kids De-Stress

Teach them to relax.

• Practice the three Rs: teach kids to rest their bodies, relax their minds, and refresh their spirits. 

• Anticipate problems that are likely to occur and give your children a chance use their self-calming skills. Have a cue that quickly and privately signals a child to use his relaxation skills to become calm or to focus. It could be a word, or a physical cue. 

Teach them to be active:

• Try to ensure that your child has at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each day.

• Be a role model for an active lifestyle.

Teach them to turn it off:

• Limit television and video viewing time, as well as time spent playing video or computer games. Plus, turn them off at least an hour before bed.

Dubbed “The Dream Maker” by People magazine, Patti Teel is a former teacher. She has created an award winning children’s audio series and is the author of “The Floppy Sleep Game Book,” which gives parents techniques to help their children relax, deal with stress, or fall asleep. Visit www.pattiteel.com.