While the life of a child often seems simple and unfettered by responsibility, pressure from friends and peers, constant worry about academic performance and an overall busy lifestyle creates a pressure cooker environment for kids. No matter their age, various factors contribute to a heightened sense of stress in some children. By acknowledging your child's feelings and working together to relieve his stress, you improve your child's quality of life while giving him the tools to continue managing stress in the future.
Step 1
Identify the various sources of your child's stress to learn how to better control her anxiety. Common sources of stress for children include school and sports performance, pressure from peers, family stress in the home and a packed schedule, along with other individual reasons for stress. Talk to your child about when she feels the most stressed to help address her concerns.
Step 2
Prepare for upcoming stress with your child so he isn't blindsided by a stressful situation. Tell your child well in advance of a situation that could be stressful and work together to ensure that he's properly prepared to help lower his stress level. If you know he has an upcoming test, work together to study. If he's worried about his performance in a soccer game, spend a few extra nights practicing in the backyard.
Step 3
Rearrange your child's schedule to offer more free time while allowing at least one leisure activity of your child's choosing. Allowing your child to indulge in an interest such as art, sports or music on a more casual basis helps to reduce some of the stress your child feels from performing activities that are required rather than enjoyed. If a busy schedule is the source of your child's stress, determine which activities aren't necessary to clear space for leisure time.
Step 4
Spend time playing and relaxing with your child. Express a general interest in some of the things going on in your child's life and set aside a few minutes of quality time to enjoy each other's company on a daily basis. Play and be silly together to help avoid the stress of a packed schedule and constantly high expectations. Reading books, puppet play or coloring together helps you spend a few relaxing moments together amid the general stress and bustle of life.
Step 5
Set a good example for you child when dealing with the stress in your life. If stress causes you to break down and change your behavior, your child follows suit. Manage stress in your child by engaging in stress relief tactics such as meditation, deep breathing and yoga yourself. When you're stressed out, avoid letting your child see so that your stress doesn't become hers.
