Stress, by definition, in a medical context, is a physical or mental factor that causes strain and tension to a person.
With the fast-paced lifestyle of today, the never-ending competition in every field, and the pressure to excel, every human being on the planet tends to face some kind of stress through external or internal factors. This not only limits itself to adults but also seeps in among children of all ages. Parents do understand some of them but some might be overlooked.
We might wonder what a carefree and happy phase of life could be any reason to cause any kind of stress to children. But yes, it has been proved that it can occur in plenty even among children, owing to what kind of environment they live in, what are they exposed to, how are they treated, how are they nurtured, and so on and so forth. It is crucial and Parents know signs of stress in children and pick up early child stress symptoms.
CAUSES OF STRESS IN CHILDREN
Let’s look at some factors which could cause stress in children. It could range from a simple fight with a friend on a bad day to a rather complex feeling of insecurity or being ignored. I have briefed some of them below, not in any particular order.
1.Fight with a friend or sibling
Yes, it could be as simple as a fight with a loved one, whom the child adores a lot. An unexpected fight or argument with them can cause stress, as they tend to worry about the relationship. A caregiver or parent who comes to know about the fight could play a mediator role to settle things down between them.
2.Birth of a sibling
Though this category of stress is unavoidable, it does cause a lot of stress as they think the newborn to be a sort of rival invading his/her personal space with his parents. Parents play a major role in managing this stress and soothing the child down to understand that he/she needs not feel left out or insecure.
3.Disrupted home
Disrupted relationship between parents, parental fights, money concerns, divorce or separation, lack of time from working parents can also wreak havoc in a child’s mind. Parents need to be aware and conscious of how a child absorbs and perceives an unstable home setup and need to act accordingly.
4.Illness
Any kind of pain, injury or a physical or mental illness can also be act as a stressor to children. Their worry and ability to overcome the same might add to the stress levels. Parental care is crucial during such times.
5.Abuse
Any exposure to physical, mental or sexual abuse causes stress to children. Parents and caregivers need to identify such causes and act upon quickly to avoid any long term damages to physical or mental health.
6.Death of a loved one
As much as such situations stress out adults, they also act as stressors to children, much more than we imagine. Correct and timely support to children during such traumatic scenarios helps them sail through with less difficulty.
7.Helicopter parent
Such parents are those that ‘hover over’ their kids and try to have a say in anything and everything they do. They pay very close attention to every aspect surrounding their kids. This might sound safe from a parent’s perspective but the children might get stressed over the fact that they are being constantly watched, monitored, and compared. Parents need to understand that every child has a life of his or her own and their decisions also need to acknowledged and appreciated.
8.Bully
Bullying, although on check nowadays, do cause stress in children. At school or among a group of friends or relatives, bullying leads to a fall in the child’s confidence and self-belief, leading to a lot of stress. Right parental guidance helps children to get rid of situations and come out of them.
9.Peer pressure
This is something very common among adults, but as shocking as it might sound, it does cause damages to a child’s opinion about himself/herself leading to stress. He or she might not be good enough in academic ranks or extra-curricular activities when compared to other students. This invariably builds a certain level of stress and anxiety in them. Even parents, knowingly or unknowingly, add on to it by comparing their children’s capabilities with their peers. They need to understand and keep a check on what’s important and what’s not.
10.Packed schedules
Comes along with peer pressure is the pressure from the parents on the kids to excel in every field. With that in mind, many parents tend to put their children in as many classes and activities as possible. Parents need to understand and appreciate the child’s choices and go with it and should not force their interests on the child.
11.World news
It might sound strange but any saddening or disheartening news on TV, natural disasters, terrorism acts or wars could cause insecurity to children as they might start worrying about their and their loved ones’ safety. Proper communication from the caregivers or the parents could help in such situations.
12.Any pertinent change
As simple as this might sound, any major changes in life cause stress in children as much as they affect the adults. With lesser ability than the adults to cope with changes, children face stress as they struggle to settle down. New school, new city, new activity or anything new that they are supposed to take up increases anxiety of the unknown in them.
For most of the above causes, right and timely identification of the stressors enable parents and caregivers aid their children in the correct manner and provide the required support to come out of it. Children might not be able to find out the cause of the anxiety by themselves as they might not be matured enough to point out what is troubling them.
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SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF STRESS IN CHILDREN
I have listed below some symptoms and signs of stress in children. Either one or a combination of them might affect the children in any capacity.
Emotional symptoms
- Aggressiveness or stubborn behavior
- Heavy mood swings
- Easily irritable
- Visibly less happy than usual
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Refusal to go to school
- A drop in performance, academics and co-curricular
- Clinginess
- Overreaction to minor problems
Physical symptoms
- Sleeping more than usual or less than usual; Nightmares
- Bedwetting
- Stomach aches
- Headaches
- Trouble in concentration
- Sudden decreased or Increased intake of food
It is also important to note that such symptoms have the possibilities to occur either after or before a particular activity. On the right observation, one can exactly pinpoint the reason. Sometimes it might not be an indicator of a stressor at all and hence care needs to be taken while identifying the symptoms so that it points out the correct underlying cause.
EFFECTS OF STRESS ON CHILDREN
There are predominantly two kinds of stress that your child might experience – Positive Stress and Negative Stress.
By Positive stress, it means that it helps pushes one’s limits in the right direction and helps perceive imminent danger. Some examples could be an injection, a disliked medicine or even meeting a stranger. Essentially, it boils down to the fact that it is good to have a little bit of stress, which is actually short-lived and easily dealt with.
The other category of Negative Stress, which might be an outcome of severe and prolonged difficulties, is very harmful to a child’s growth and development. Going further beyond negative, it is also referred to as Toxic stress, as it is quite damaging to the entire body. It increases cortisol (stress hormone) levels in the brain and affects the nervous system. It could lead to blood pressure, affect the immunity system, and might also cause diabetes and heart problems.
TIPS TO HELP CHILDREN COPE WITH STRESS
If you are noticing any signs of stress in your children, here are a few pointers as to what you can do help them to relieve stress and manage It better.
1.Good rest, proper nutrition, and proper routine
Ensure that you provide children with a calm, safe, and secure home that they can rely on and come to. Help them commit to a proper routine with good amount of rest, so that you can avoid unnecessary changes in their activities. Provide them with the right nutrition so that they develop the physical ability to deal with stress.
2.Make time for children
Ensure to spend a good amount of time with the children. This may even be just sitting with them in the same room or listen to their narrations. Encourage activities together as a family, like dinners or movie time, so that the children feel included and feel easy enough to confide in you if something is troubling them.
3.Talk to them about stress
Some kind of stress is fine and it is deemed to be positive, as mentioned above in the categories of stress. So, try to remind children that it is okay to feel some level of stress in life. Also, provide an atmosphere for them to talk to you about it.
4.Relaxation exercises for children
Apart from maintaining a safe home for children, as parents, you could also help them learn breathing and relaxation exercises which could be useful. Maintaining a proper physical exercise regimen also helps with coping stress. Learning yoga and meditation aids to a great extent.
5.Encourage children to face problems and help them solve
In addition to providing physical and emotional support, it is also essential to encourage children to face and deal with problems on their own. Sit with them, help them open up, listen to their problems. Advise them that it is okay to feel sad or anxious or worried. Motivate them to face it and help them find solutions to overcome their problems.
6.Be a role model to your child
Your child will imitate you and learn from you. Be conscious of how you deal with stress, anxiety and fears so that you act as a role model to your child in managing stress. Children learn behaviors by observing their parents.
7.Keep your children involved
Lastly, make sure you always keep your children included and involved in every decision at home. Give them prior information about anticipated changes, like a new city or a new school or a new home or a new arrival and so on. Allow and provide opportunities for your children where they learn to have a control over a situation in life.
Hope you find these stress relief and management tips useful and effective enough to apply in real life.
I couldn’t resist commenting. Very well written!