Download Use These Strategies to Help Your Child Deal With Stress (PDF, 2.6

Teach
your
child
resilience
Are your kids stressed out?
Helping your child be more resistant to
5
Strategies to help kids cope
Make an
activity list:
1
Help kids talk it through. Encourage children to have positive self-talk by
suggesting they imagine a good buddy sitting on their shoulder who cheers
for them and says positive things.
2
As a family, develop a list of activities
or routines to manage stress.
Post it as a reminder to “chill-out”
when tensions build.
Set an example. Talk out loud when you face a stressful situation, so that
they understand you get stressed too, and manage it in a healthy way. “I’m
frustrated right now, but I’m just going to get this chore done,” you may say.
3
Teach relaxation. One of the most effective antidotes to stress is deep
breathing; teach your children to take a deep breath in through their nose
on a slow count of four, then blow out through their mouth on a slow
count of six.
4
Choose your time. The best time to find out what’s really upsetting your
child is when they are calm and relaxed. While doing an everyday activity
such as driving in the car or washing dishes ask an open question, such as
“I know there are things that upset you sometimes. Can you tell me about
them?”
stress is one of the most powerful lessons
you can offer as a parent. Evidence indicates that chronic stress in children can
What’s behind the
behaviour?
alter the course of brain development
and can affect their physical, emotional
We react to our children’s behaviour all the time, when we see
them act up or withdraw. But it doesn’t always occur to us that
stress might be the cause, so before we react, we should take a
minute to consider what might be behind the behaviour.
Overly
cautious
Fighting
Lack of
appetite
Crying
Poor listening
Poor grades
Daydreaming
5
and intellectual well-being.
BODY
MIND
FEELINGS
Stress releases
hormones
that may
cause physical
symptoms
Thoughts can
be disrupted
under chronic
stress
Children
vulnerable to
stress may be
overwhelmed by
their feelings
Tense muscles
Headaches
Stomach aches
Rapid heartbeat
Chills
Skin rash
Shakiness
Insomnia
Fatigue
Susceptibility
to illness
Poor concentration
Confusion
Easily distracted
Forgetfulness
Whirling mind
Difficulty solving
problems
Being irrational
“Catastrophic”
thinking
Fear
Anxiety
Frustration
Sadness
Anger
Panic
Sensitivity
Irritability
Helplessness
Feeling threatened
Whining
It’s easy to spot the above behaviours, but not always so easy
to see what’s going on inside a child’s mind and emotions.
If children are experiencing stress, their bodies, minds and
feelings may all be affected but it can be harder to detect these
symptoms. Every child reacts to stress in an individual way.
Pay attention though: if you think your child may be dealing with
stress that seems more serious than usual, consider seeking
guidance or professional help from your family physician.
Ways to Help
Try not to overload kids with activities. Sometimes, the best cure for
stress is just to have some quiet time— tight schedules put a lot of pressure
on everyone.
Invent your own stress-buster. Have
every family member develop a
ritual to diffuse stress levels when
things get tense. Some kids will
need to do something physical,
while others may opt for a quiet
time-out.
Streamline mornings. Take some
pressure off your morning routine
by having your child get clothes,
lunch and homework ready the
night before.
Unplug. Designate a particular time
every week as “technology-free”, and
hit pause on all your gadgets, tvs and
electronics – even if it’s just for an
hour or two.
Teach your child five steps to
solve a problem
1. What is the problem?
2. How big is the problem on a scale of 1 to 5?
3. What can you do about it? What are some other ideas?
4. What would you like to try doing?
5. (A little while later...) How well did the solution work?
Source: Kids Have Stress Too®! Facilitator’s Resource Guide, The Psychology Foundation of Canada.
T
U
O
L
L
U
P ivity
act ide!
gu
As a parent, you know how it feels to
be stressed, and have your own ways
to cope with a tough situation.
Kids get stressed too, as much as it
seems like they shouldn’t have a worry
in the world. But children just don’t
have the experience to always know
how to deal with the stress of their
lives, at school, with friends,among
strangers or in family situations.
Unchecked, this can result in
insecurities, feelings of helplessness
or destructive behaviour.
Learn to identify signs of stress in
your child. Be a coach in helping them
develop physical and mental strategies
to handle stress in a healthy way.
Use this guide to make your family
time the best defense
against stress.
Stress
Check!
Use these
Why help
your child
manage stress?
strategies to help
your child deal
with stress
You can’t – and shouldn’t – try to shelter your
child from every stress. Part of growing up is
learning how to make the most of every day ­­and
dealing with obstacles.
Gain a sense of control.
When children realize they have choices,
especially in difficult situations,
they feel less helpless.
You can coach your child on good stress­management strategies. According to the
­Psychology Foundation of Canada, and its Kids
Have Stress Too®! Program, stress-management
techniques aim to help kids achieve three things:
Learn how to relax.
When children learn ways to relax, they
realize they can help themselves feel
better by becoming less tense or upset.
Develop a can-do attitude.
Children can begin to focus on what
they can do in a situation rather than on
what they cannot do.
The ongoing partnership between Desjardins Financial Security and The Psychology Foundation of Canada is part
of a campaign to create awareness of important mental health issues among families, and provide sound stress
management strategies that can be used by both parents and children. For more details on Desjardins Financial
Security’s partnerships in mental health leadership, please visit www.healthiscool.ca.
For more information and resources on stress management strategies, parenting, work-life balance and The Psychology Foundation of Canada’s Kids Have Stress Too!® program, please visit www.kidshavestresstoo.org.