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You are here : home > Stress and Depression in Children > Related Articles on Stress and Depression > Harmful Effects of Pressurizing Kids

Harmful Effects of Pressurizing Kids

Allparentswanttheirkidstoexcelinvariouswalksoflife.However,kidshavetoundergoalotofpressureunnecessarilybecauseoftheundueexpectationsofparents.Readontolearnmoreabouttheharmfuleffectsofpressurizingkids.Childrenaremostlybroughtupunderthepressureofvariousexpectationsoftheirparents.Theseexpectationsmaypertaintotheareaofbehaviour,academiclife,extracurricularactivities,looks,personalityandsomuchmore.MembersofAmericanPsychiatricCouncilsaythatsometimesthispressureworksatanunconsciouslevelandparentsarenotevenawareofit.Ifyouareaparentthenyoumighthaveexertedsuchkindofpressureonyourchildknowinglyorunknowingly.Knowingabouttheharmfuleffectsofpressurizingkidswillhelpyoubecomeamoreresponsibleandawareparent.InthisarticleLossofInterestEmotionalComplicationsInsomniaAnxietyandNervousnessWithdrawingfromHobbiesLossofInterestIfyourkidhasbeenunderalotofacademicpressurethenitisnaturalforhisacademicperformancetosuffer.Oftenschoolstooputalotofpressureonchildrentoscorewelloneachtest,mastereverysubjectandperformbrilliantlyeachtime.Sinceeachchildisnotendowedwiththesameacademicskillsorretentioncapacityitisnormalforacademicperformancetofluctuateattimes.Ifthechildfeelsconstantlypressurized,atonepointoftimeheorshewillloseinterestinstudies.EmotionalComplicationsIfyounoticeyourchildchanginghisorherregularbehaviourpatternstoadoptamorewithdrawnapproachthenthiscanbearesultoftoomuchstress.Psychiatristssaythatachildcannotcompartmentalizehismindtostopnegativethoughtsorfeedbackfromaffectinghisorherphysiologicalaspects.Constantnegativefeedbackorunrelentingpressuretoexcelinsomeareaforceschildrentosetasidetheirwellbeingandtrytofulfiltheexpectationsatanycost.Thishasadefinitenegativeeffectonthebehaviourpatterns.InsomniaParentalpressuremorethanoftenleadstostressandstresshasbeenshowntohaveadirectscientificconnectiontoinsomnia.Thelackofpropersleepatnightwillstopthemindandbodyfromrejuvenatingthemselves.Afteradisturbednightorawakefulnightyourchildwillnotbeabletohandlestudiesorothertaskswellthenextday.Appetite,wellbeing,academicperformance,dispositionandultimatelyhealthsufferdrasticallybecauseoflackofpropersleep.AnxietyandNervousnessHaveyounoticedyourchildbitinghisorhernailsfrequentlyordoyouseeothernervoussymptomslikechewingonlips,fiddlingwithpencils,twistingfingersetc?Thesearetypicalsignalsidentifiedbytopchildcounsellorsacrosstheglobeandthesesignalsoftenpointtonervousnessorsevereanxietyreigninginthemindofthechild.Researchsaysthatnotbeingabletofulfilparentalexpectationscanleadtopoorselfesteem.Poorselfesteemleadstonervousnessandlackofconfidenceandalsourgesthetell-talesignsdiscussedabove.Continuedfeelingsofpoorselfesteemultimatelyleadstodepression;aconditionthathasmassivenegativerepercussionsonthemindandbody.WithdrawingfromHobbiesIfyounoticeyourchildgivingupsomethingwhichheorshereallylikedtodointhepastthenthiscanbetheresultofparentalpressureandstress.Incasethereisalotofpressureonchildrentoexcelacademicallyortoshowexceptionalperformancethenaturalpsychologicalreactionistostopallotheractivitiesandonlyconcentrateonthefulfilmentofthoseexpectations.Ultimately,ifthoseexpectationsarenotfulfilledthenthechildblameshimselforherselfandwithdrawsdeeplyintoashellforsakingallhobbiesandpreferredactivities.Thisisaconditionthatcanleadstraightintodepression.Nowthatyouknowthedrasticnegativeeffectsthatconstantpressureandoverexpectationscanhaveonyourchildyoushouldpreventsuchsituationsfromarising.Childrenareverysensitiveandthebestwaytoencouragethemtoexcelinlifeistogivethempositivefeedbackandboosttheirconfidence.Whataretheeffectsofpressurizingkids?Howtoavoidputtingpressureonkids?Whicharetheeffectivewaystode-stresskids?Discusshere.

Children are mostly brought up under the pressure of various expectations of their parents. These expectations may pertain to the area of behaviour, academic life, extracurricular activities, looks, personality and so much more. Members of American Psychiatric Council say that sometimes this pressure works at an unconscious level and parents are not even aware of it.

If you are a parent then you might have exerted such kind of pressure on your child knowingly or unknowingly. Knowing about the harmful effects of pressurizing kids will help you become a more responsible and aware parent.

Loss of Interest

If your kid has been under a lot of academic pressure then it is natural for his academic performance to suffer. Often schools too put a lot of pressure on children to score well on each test, master every subject and perform brilliantly each time. Since each child is not endowed with the same academic skills or retention capacity it is normal for academic performance to fluctuate at times. If the child feels constantly pressurized, at one point of time he or she will lose interest in studies.

Emotional Complications

If you notice your child changing his or her regular behaviour patterns to adopt a more withdrawn approach then this can be a result of too much stress. Psychiatrists say that a child cannot compartmentalize his mind to stop negative thoughts or feedback from affecting his or her physiological aspects.

Constant negative feedback or unrelenting pressure to excel in some area forces children to set aside their well being and try to fulfil the expectations at any cost. This has a definite negative effect on the behaviour patterns.

Insomnia

Parental pressure more than often leads to stress and stress has been shown to have a direct scientific connection to insomnia. The lack of proper sleep at night will stop the mind and body from rejuvenating themselves. After a disturbed night or a wakeful night your child will not be able to handle studies or other tasks well the next day. Appetite, well being, academic performance, disposition and ultimately health suffer drastically because of lack of proper sleep.

Anxiety and Nervousness

Have you noticed your child biting his or her nails frequently or do you see other nervous symptoms like chewing on lips, fiddling with pencils, twisting fingers etc? These are typical signals identified by top child counsellors across the globe and these signals often point to nervousness or severe anxiety reigning in the mind of the child.

Research says that not being able to fulfil parental expectations can lead to poor self esteem. Poor self esteem leads to nervousness and lack of confidence and also urges the tell-tale signs discussed above. Continued feelings of poor self esteem ultimately leads to depression; a condition that has massive negative repercussions on the mind and body.

Withdrawing from Hobbies

If you notice your child giving up something which he or she really liked to do in the past then this can be the result of parental pressure and stress. In case there is a lot of pressure on children to excel academically or to show exceptional performance the natural psychological reaction is to stop all other activities and only concentrate on the fulfilment of those expectations. Ultimately, if those expectations are not fulfilled then the child blames himself or herself and withdraws deeply into a shell forsaking all hobbies and preferred activities. This is a condition that can lead straight into depression.

Now that you know the drastic negative effects that constant pressure and over expectations can have on your child you should prevent such situations from arising. Children are very sensitive and the best way to encourage them to excel in life is to give them positive feedback and boost their confidence.

What are the effects of pressurizing kids? How to avoid putting pressure on kids? Which are the effective ways to de-stress kids? Discuss here.