6 Tips to Help Your Child Cope with Stress
Oct 6, 2017
Stress is a word that is not commonly associated with a child, as they’re often characterised by their joyful and carefree nature. Regardless of a person’s age or personality, it is important for parents to recognise and acknowledge that stress exists. If you notice early signs of stress and anxiety from your child, here are six essential tips to help your child to cope and overcome stress.
1. Listening to your child
Having a healthy conversation with someone they trust can help to ease various stages of stress. When your child is dealing with social anxiety or stressful situations, be the one who will listen attentively when your child is ready to open up about it. Make it conversational and approach this heart-to-heart session with patience and openness. Create a comfortable space where your child can pour their heart out, without being judged or blamed for the situation. This is a great first step to dealing with stress straight on.
2. Encourage your child to find solutions
The next step is to find a solution for your child’s stressful situation. As a loving and caring parent, it is natural for mothers and fathers to provide advice and suggestions out of personal experience. However, your child will benefit more by coming up with solutions on their own. When your child opens up about a situation that bothers them, encourage your child to think of ideas and solutions to overcome it. This way, parents can turn this situation into a lesson about resilience, problem-solving and independence.
3. Spending time with your child
Another step to deal with a stressful situation is to take your child out of it momentarily. It means spending time with your child and be involved in their favourite pastime or relaxing activities. You can unwind with a relaxing session of yoga, gardening, fishing or painting. Alternatively, you can spend the evening in the park and participate in their favourite sports and games. Aside from minimising stress, it also helps to shift their focus and helps them to enjoy the bigger things in life.
4. Limiting the cause of stress
There are many behind-the-scenes solutions that parents can do to ease the stress in their child’s everyday routine. If the stress derives from their busy schedule, you can limit the number of after-school activities or include more leisure outings. If the anxiety stems from an upcoming exam, you can help your child to prepare ahead of time and encourage them to take short breaks between studying.
5. Nurturing positive vibes at home
Dealing with negativity and criticism can cause stress that affects self-esteem. For a child, it can take a huge toll on their emotional well-being and self-confidence. It’s important to remind ourselves that we cannot control the situation we face, but we can choose the way we respond to it. Teaching your child to look at the bright side of every situation and setbacks starts from home. As parents, it’s crucial to practise kind, motivating and encouraging words in your living space. Fill your home with positive and feel-good vibes, and create an environment where your child is free to share their thoughts and feelings. That way, negativity and criticism will not have a place to thrive in your child’s mind, body and soul.
6. Getting sufficient sleep
We should never underestimate the power of sufficient sleep. It is proven that a child who has eight hours of sleep will experience lower stress levels, a happier mood and improved mental alertness. To get your child into the habit of sleeping early or on time, start by monitoring their gadget usage and television time. Then, limit their afternoon naps and keep the hours before bedtime as relaxed as possible.
1. Listening to your child
Having a healthy conversation with someone they trust can help to ease various stages of stress. When your child is dealing with social anxiety or stressful situations, be the one who will listen attentively when your child is ready to open up about it. Make it conversational and approach this heart-to-heart session with patience and openness. Create a comfortable space where your child can pour their heart out, without being judged or blamed for the situation. This is a great first step to dealing with stress straight on.
2. Encourage your child to find solutions
The next step is to find a solution for your child’s stressful situation. As a loving and caring parent, it is natural for mothers and fathers to provide advice and suggestions out of personal experience. However, your child will benefit more by coming up with solutions on their own. When your child opens up about a situation that bothers them, encourage your child to think of ideas and solutions to overcome it. This way, parents can turn this situation into a lesson about resilience, problem-solving and independence.
3. Spending time with your child
Another step to deal with a stressful situation is to take your child out of it momentarily. It means spending time with your child and be involved in their favourite pastime or relaxing activities. You can unwind with a relaxing session of yoga, gardening, fishing or painting. Alternatively, you can spend the evening in the park and participate in their favourite sports and games. Aside from minimising stress, it also helps to shift their focus and helps them to enjoy the bigger things in life.
4. Limiting the cause of stress
There are many behind-the-scenes solutions that parents can do to ease the stress in their child’s everyday routine. If the stress derives from their busy schedule, you can limit the number of after-school activities or include more leisure outings. If the anxiety stems from an upcoming exam, you can help your child to prepare ahead of time and encourage them to take short breaks between studying.
5. Nurturing positive vibes at home
Dealing with negativity and criticism can cause stress that affects self-esteem. For a child, it can take a huge toll on their emotional well-being and self-confidence. It’s important to remind ourselves that we cannot control the situation we face, but we can choose the way we respond to it. Teaching your child to look at the bright side of every situation and setbacks starts from home. As parents, it’s crucial to practise kind, motivating and encouraging words in your living space. Fill your home with positive and feel-good vibes, and create an environment where your child is free to share their thoughts and feelings. That way, negativity and criticism will not have a place to thrive in your child’s mind, body and soul.
6. Getting sufficient sleep
We should never underestimate the power of sufficient sleep. It is proven that a child who has eight hours of sleep will experience lower stress levels, a happier mood and improved mental alertness. To get your child into the habit of sleeping early or on time, start by monitoring their gadget usage and television time. Then, limit their afternoon naps and keep the hours before bedtime as relaxed as possible.
