According to Kids Health, even young children can experience stress in response to the demands that are placed on them and what they witness happening around them. There are many different reasons why your child may be experiencing stress and finding the cause will help you find a solution. Talk with your child and observe his activities to help you find the cause of his stress so you can work together to encourage a more carefree and happy childhood.
Separation Anxiety
As your child grows, he will spend more time away from you at school and with friends. Kids Health reports that separation anxiety is a common cause of stress, particularly if your child is preschool age. Learning how to function apart from you is a difficult and frightening task for your child, say Lawrence E. Shapiro and Robin K. Sprague, authors of "The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook for Kids: Help for Children to Cope with Stress, Anxiety and Transitions." In new situations your child will likely feel stressed until she makes an adjustment to her new environment and being apart from you. Shapiro and Sprague recommend talking to your child about his feelings and developing peaceful ways for him to relax and de-stress when he is at home.
Pressure To Excel
Children today are expected to engage in many more activities than in the past. Parents choose a variety of different activities for their children, but often do not consider the stress they place on their kids by expecting them to perform. According to Healthy Children, your child will likely enjoy spending time pursuing activities, such as sports or musical instruments, as long as they are praised for their accomplishments and not expected to take on more than they can handle. Encourage your child to keep practicing and avoid unrealistic expectations in order to remove much of the stress associated with learning a new skill, says Healthy Children.
Stressed Parents
Children observe everything around them and Kids Health reports that when you are stressed about something it can cause your child to become stressed as well. Seeing something on the news may stress you out, but be careful not to discuss it in front of your kids because it can cause your child to become frightened of the world around him. If you and your partner are having a disagreement, take it behind closed doors or wait until your child is asleep to talk. When your child witnesses the stresses associated with fighting, he will likely become stressed as well. Other issues that cause you stress, such as a divorce, death of a loved one or problems at work, should be dealt with away from your child so he does not become stressed as well, says Kids Health.
References
- Kids Health: Childhood Stress
- "The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook for Kids: Help for Children to Cope with Stress, Anxiety and Transitions"; Lawrence E. Shapiro and Robin K. Sprague; 2009
- Healthy Children: Pressure to Perform
