STRESS AND YOUR CHILDREN

If you have children you undoubtedly know a thing or two about stress. All children face stressful situations as they grow. Here are some tips to help reduce your child's negative reaction to stress:

Be aware of the signs of stress: Clues can include a tight throat, sweaty palms, headaches, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, uneasiness, indigestion, depression, restlessness, frustration and a change in sleeping patterns.

Build your children's self-esteem: Help your children gain confidence by giving them responsibilities and letting them make decisions at an early age.

Provide support and reassurance: Provide lots of affection and attention to let your children know you are there for them.

Create an environment with open communication: Ask open-ended questions if your children need help discussing a subject. Talking about stress often brings increased awareness.

Make sure your children are getting enough sleep or rest: Just as with parents, children need rest to combat stress.

Model appropriate coping skills: Try to demonstrate that stress is normal and can be handled in a calm and effective manner.

Eat Right: Take the time to eat a balanced diet. What you feed your children’s bodies will play a part in how they cope with stress.

Create a consistent routine or schedule: A consistent schedule of meal times, homework time, bedtime, etc. allows them to know what to expect. This in turn, helps them to feel secure and reduces stress.

Encourage exercise and fun: As a family try and discover ways to relieve the daily stress factor while enjoying each other at the same time.

Adapted from Kristen Zolten, M.A. and Nicholas Long, Ph.D, Center for Effective Parenting