Stress rising in today's kids

Stress rising in today's kids

JAKARTA (JP): Demanding parents, school pressure and eating
too much fast food have one thing in common -- they cause stress
in children.

This was clear from a seminar on Saturday looking into the
causes of stress among children, now a common occurrence,
especially in urban areas.

Fauzia Aswin Hadis, a professor at the School of Psychology of
the University of Indonesia and one of the speakers, told The
Jakarta Post that parents should not put too much pressure on
their children to be the best in their class.

"Of course parents should expect their children to do their
best, but they have to be realistic and realize their children's
abilities," Fauzia said.

Fauzia said parents should understand that children have
enough burdens at school and that they do not need additional
pressures at home.

Fauzia scorned the growing trend of parents enrolling their
children in extra-curricular courses after school. "These
activities affect children psychologically," she said. "They will
feel pressured."

The seminar, attended by about 500 participants, mostly
mothers, also presented Conny Semiawan, a professor of the same
school and of the Teaching Learning and Training Institute
Jakarta. The seminar, held at Hotel Le Meridien, was organized by
Intisari magazine and Sustagen-HP, a major milk powder producer.

Conny said that very often parents demand something their
children cannot meet, leading to further psychological pressure.

She noted that much pressure now comes from stiffer
competition as graduates fight for university seats and jobs.

Sending them for additional course work, however, is not
necessarily the answer, she said. "The chief purpose of education
is not to get jobs but to educate children, improve their
intellects and teach them to behave."

Conny said that to ease stress on children parents should
create a positive environment at home so that children and
parents can discuss their problems.

Ali Khomsan, of the School of Nutrition and Family Resources
at the Agriculture Institute of Bogor, told the seminar that
stress on children also occurs if they consume too much sugar and
coffee.

Children in big cities tend to consume junk food and snacks
such as chocolate, candies and cakes.

Ali said parents should pay more attention to their children's
diets because they are growing up and need quality energy.

"Children should have healthy food, especially for breakfast,"
he said, adding that breakfast contributes one fourth of our
nutritional intake everyday and can prevent children from feeling
dizzy and weak. (05)