Tips on how to cope with childhood stress

There is no denying that all parents want their children to have bright futures. To see that this happens, many parents push their children to take a variety of courses and extracurricular activities, unaware perhaps that doing too much can cause children stress. But that's only one reason why children experience stress.

According to www.doctorgeorge.com, children experience stress for any number of reasons. For preschool children, it can be starting or changing day care, starting preschool, the arrival of a new baby, being separated from a parent, being disciplined or toilet training. Preschoolers also worry that they will be deserted or starve, and they may be fearful of strangers. Scary things, sickness and the unknown also are stressful.

The website says that stress can have more serious consequences for children. Aside from weight loss, insomnia and anorexia, stressed kids often exhibit behavioral changes which their parents may not understand. Temper tantrums, unjustified crying, lying, stealing and violent behavior are just some of these changes, but the effects on health are even worse

Parents obviously want to protect their children from stress. But quiet frequently, they do not understand how to deal with it. Below are some very helpful steps that parents can follow to rid their children of the health and emotional effects of living a child's life. The tips were taken from www.doctorgeorge.com.

-The children who are best able to cope with stress are those who have supportive and understanding parents. Be there for your child. Try to understand what he is going through. Encourage him to talk things over, and help him to think through problems. He is beginning to develop some problem-solving skills, although he needs help in this area.

-Help your child understand the situations that cause him problems. Explain what is going on in simple, reassuring language. Encourage your child to talk about his fears. He needs to learn to say things like, "I don't like it when your dog barks," or "I'm afraid to go into that dark room." Don't tell your child that his fears are silly; they are very real to him. Ease his tension by offering understanding, support and plenty of affection. Holding and cuddling a young child will help to ease the stress. Finally, you can increase your child's sense of security by remaining calm during times of difficulty.

-If problems seem to revolve around school, sit down with your child's teacher and work together to set realistic goals and standards for achievement. The problem may not be academic. Sometimes children are involved in too many different activities or may have taken on too many chores at home. On the other hand, an isolated child may benefit from being encouraged to participate in a group activity or joining a club.

- Look for psychiatric help when your child is in trouble at school or has been reported for juvenile misbehavior and the problem is beyond your parenting skills. Teachers and counselors offer sound advice to help school-agers through not-so-good times.

- Your child will benefit from your affection, approval and positive reinforcement. Listen to him and help him find solutions to his problems; this will teach him to manage stress in his own life, and perhaps one day, he or she will be able to deal with things as well as you do.

-The Jakarta Post