Tips for De-Stressing Your Child

Like, adults, children too undergo stress. With growing expectations and relentless competition, the level of stress in children is also rising. However, parents can help prevent stress from overwhelming their children. For tips on how parents can help de-stress their children, read on.In this fast paced world, children have to cope with a lot of things like competition, friends, peer pressure, school work and high expectations from parents and teachers. Although, most of these are common occurrences in every child’s life, many kids experience staggering feelings of stress that they cannot identify or deal with. Stress can lead to different types of negative behavioural problems like frustration, irritation, depression, etc. In this articleFind the CauseBe Patient and TolerantEnsure Routine and DisciplineEncourage Extracurricular ActivitiesDo Not Set Highly Unachievable ExpectationsSet a Specific Bed TimeSet a Time for HobbySet Some LimitationsTips to De-Stress Your Child Since, children may be unable to identify or articulate their feelings clearly, it is the duty of the parents to recognize these cues and come up with solutions to de-stress their children. Follow these simple tips for de-stressing your child. Find the Cause The first thing that you should do is find the reason behind the stress that is bothering your child. Talk to your child and try to find out what is troubling or irritating him. Try to get to the root of the problem and ascertain if there is something that your child can to do to eliminate that cause of that stress. If not, you need to determine what you can do to help your child deal with or eliminate the feelings of stress. Simply discussing the problem with your child will help him cope and deal with the stress to some extent as he will get comforted just thinking that his parents are concerned about him and his problems. Be Patient and Tolerant More often than not, parents unknowingly add to their stress by brushing off their issues by saying, “you’re just a child.” While your child’s problems may seem trivial to you, they could wreak a lot of havoc in your child’s emotional and mental development. When you are dealing with things that are stressing out your child, you need lot of patience to listen and let him communicate all his fears. If you stay calm and rational, chances are that your child will have a cool and calm attitude towards the problems he will face in day to day life. Ensure Routine and Discipline Make a routine and try to encourage your child to follow regular study habits. Pay proper attention and guide when required. Try to boost his self esteem and help him face every problem with a positive attitude. Consistency is very important in your child’s life. If the child is left unorganized, stress is the automatic result. Encourage Extracurricular Activities Some children may excel in science, others in basketball. Do not let any kind of inferiority complex affect your child’s mind. This is extremely harmful for a child’s overall growth. Instead, encourage your child to participate in any extracurricular activity that attracts him. Knowing that he is good at something else, will not only help boost his self confidence, but also help him cope with his study – stress better. Do Not Set Highly Unachievable Expectations Do not express very high expectations that your children may find overwhelming and extremely difficult to achieve. Children feel extremely stressed if they cannot live up to their parents’ expectations. Instead, set lower, more achievable targets, which once achieved, serve to encourage children to set the bar higher themselves. Set a Specific Bed Time This should be strictly followed and unless until there is some special occasion or any kind of weekend attraction, do not deviate from this. Sleeping well and for required time will automatically de-stress your child. Deep sound sleep relaxes the mind and body and the child will get recharged for another day’s work. Set a Time for Hobby Let your child find and develop a hobby which he finds interesting. Performing a hobby that he enjoys doing when he is feeling overwhelmed with stress will create a feel-good factor that will soothe and de-stress him when required. Set Some Limitations Limit watching TV, playing video games, or using electronic tablets. Set times when he is allowed to watch TV or play games. Negotiate the amount of time he can play games on his computer or tablet and use his favourite distracting activities as a method of rewarding him when he finishes his homework or achieves something. So whenever you feel that your child is stressed out, remember, that all he needs is someone to help him look at his problems with a fresh perspective that you are most equipped to provide. If you find your child in a better mood, do not forget to tell him that you are happy to see him cheerful. This will convey to him that bad feelings do not last forever. Patiently guide your child through his issues and problems instead of just solving his issues for him. Teaching him to deal with stress in a healthy manner at such a young age will make him well-equipped to deal with the overwhelming stress that accompanies the cutthroat competition faced in the adult world.Does your child get stressed? How can you help your child deal with stress? How can you help de-stress your child? Discuss here.

Like, adults, children too undergo stress. With growing expectations and relentless competition, the level of stress in children is also rising. However, parents can help prevent stress from overwhelming their children. For tips on how parents can help de-stress their children, read on.

In this fast paced world, children have to cope with a lot of things like competition, friends, peer pressure, school work and high expectations from parents and teachers. Although, most of these are common occurrences in every child’s life, many kids experience staggering feelings of stress that they cannot identify or deal with. Stress can lead to different types of negative behavioural problems like frustration, irritation, depression, etc.

Tips to De-Stress Your Child

Since, children may be unable to identify or articulate their feelings clearly, it is the duty of the parents to recognize these cues and come up with solutions to de-stress their children. Follow these simple tips for de-stressing your child.

Find the Cause

The first thing that you should do is find the reason behind the stress that is bothering your child. Talk to your child and try to find out what is troubling or irritating him. Try to get to the root of the problem and ascertain if there is something that your child can to do to eliminate that cause of that stress. If not, you need to determine what you can do to help your child deal with or eliminate the feelings of stress. Simply discussing the problem with your child will help him cope and deal with the stress to some extent as he will get comforted just thinking that his parents are concerned about him and his problems.

Be Patient and Tolerant

More often than not, parents unknowingly add to their stress by brushing off their issues by saying, “you’re just a child.” While your child’s problems may seem trivial to you, they could wreak a lot of havoc in your child’s emotional and mental development. When you are dealing with things that are stressing out your child, you need lot of patience to listen and let him communicate all his fears. If you stay calm and rational, chances are that your child will have a cool and calm attitude towards the problems he will face in day to day life.

Ensure Routine and Discipline

Make a routine and try to encourage your child to follow regular study habits. Pay proper attention and guide when required. Try to boost his self esteem and help him face every problem with a positive attitude. Consistency is very important in your child’s life. If the child is left unorganized, stress is the automatic result.

Encourage Extracurricular Activities

Some children may excel in science, others in basketball. Do not let any kind of inferiority complex affect your child’s mind. This is extremely harmful for a child’s overall growth. Instead, encourage your child to participate in any extracurricular activity that attracts him. Knowing that he is good at something else, will not only help boost his self confidence, but also help him cope with his study – stress better.

Do Not Set Highly Unachievable Expectations

Do not express very high expectations that your children may find overwhelming and extremely difficult to achieve. Children feel extremely stressed if they cannot live up to their parents’ expectations. Instead, set lower, more achievable targets, which once achieved, serve to encourage children to set the bar higher themselves.

Set a Specific Bed Time

This should be strictly followed and unless until there is some special occasion or any kind of weekend attraction, do not deviate from this. Sleeping well and for required time will automatically de-stress your child. Deep sound sleep relaxes the mind and body and the child will get recharged for another day’s work.

Set a Time for Hobby

Let your child find and develop a hobby which he finds interesting. Performing a hobby that he enjoys doing when he is feeling overwhelmed with stress will create a feel-good factor that will soothe and de-stress him when required.

Set Some Limitations

Limit watching TV, playing video games, or using electronic tablets. Set times when he is allowed to watch TV or play games. Negotiate the amount of time he can play games on his computer or tablet and use his favourite distracting activities as a method of rewarding him when he finishes his homework or achieves something.

So whenever you feel that your child is stressed out, remember, that all he needs is someone to help him look at his problems with a fresh perspective that you are most equipped to provide. If you find your child in a better mood, do not forget to tell him that you are happy to see him cheerful. This will convey to him that bad feelings do not last forever. Patiently guide your child through his issues and problems instead of just solving his issues for him. Teaching him to deal with stress in a healthy manner at such a young age will make him well-equipped to deal with the overwhelming stress that accompanies the cutthroat competition faced in the adult world.

Does your child get stressed? How can you help your child deal with stress? How can you help de-stress your child? Discuss here.