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)