Kids Have Stress Too
We know what stress looks like for us as adults... but what does stress look like in children?
After all, they aren’t paying bills and fighting rush hour traffic! But they still feel stress in their life just like you and I do. Here are a few tips on how to understand stress in kids.
When kids experience too much stress:
It is difficult for them to concentrate, learn and get along with others.
It has a profound effect on their health.
It interferes with their ability to focus and think. If they are afraid or anxious, they may spend so much energy worrying that they are unable to learn.
It makes it difficult to manage feelings. emotions and behaviours.
By using the "Kids Have Stress Too" program you will be able to help your children to:
Gain a sense of control. When children feel they have choices, especially for difficult situations, they feel less helpless. Making choices involves engaging cognitive processes, which change brain chemistry and reduce stress hormones.
Learn how to relax. When children learn ways to relax, they realize they can help themselves feel better by becoming less tense and upset.
Develop a "can-do" attitude. Children can begin to focus on what they can do in a situation rather than on what they cannot do.
Build a capacity for self-regulation. Learning age-appropriate strategies for dealing with stress (including receiving support from caregivers) supports children's emerging capacity for self-regulation, the ability to regulate emotions, social interactions, and actions in ways that help them to respond to people and situations.
How do you recognize stress in your child?
Look for changes: You know what reactions are typical and within a normal range for your child. It is a concern if you notice a significant difference or change in the child's usual pattern of behaviour. For example, a quiet or shy child may become withdrawn, or a normally active or outgoing child may become aggressive. Or a normally quiet or shy child may become aggressive.
See beyond behaviour: Difficult behaviour is what gets noticed because it is visible and often requires a response. Children who behave in unpleasant and annoying ways often get "labelled" as a nuisance or "a pain in the neck", or even a "bad kid". It is important to look beyond the behaviour and understand that beneath it there are many things happening inside the child. Children's behaviour is their language to express how they are feeling. For example, when a child is throwing toys or biting others, it may be in response to a separate event that is causing their stress.
Assess for stress by taking these factors into account:
How long and how severe the changes in behaviour seem to be.
Whether the child may be experiencing physical problems or changes at home.
If the child is at a stage of development that is disrupting his/her normal pattern. This developmental change may express itself in a child through things like increased fears, whining or appetite changes.
Use your judgement: You are the expert on your child! When a child's behaviour changes, it requires judgement to determine what the changes can be attributed to. It may be stress-related or it may not. Whatever the cause, a child experiencing difficulties needs extra care and reassurance.
Work together with other caregivers in your child's life. Find out if these behaviours are happening outside of your home or if there are any changes or concerns you should be made aware of. Working together you can come up with a plan to address the behaviour and help the child cope.