Stress is a part of everyday life from the cradle to the grave. Newborns and babies experience stress as witnessed by crying not associated with hunger or an illness. Toddlers surely become overwhelmed by the vast amount of knowledge they take in and process almost at the speed of light. Pre-teen years bring the stress of rapid growth in both physical and mental capacity. Along come the teenage years with puberty, hormones, and the search for personal identity. Everyone at every age, then, can use a bit of stress reduction. In this article we will discuss – how to reduce stress in kids.
Even though we could travel back and forth along the continuum of life, let’s concentrate on the childhood years – a more focused discussion can take place on the topic of how to get rid of stress in kids. It doesn’t make any difference if we are friends, siblings, parents, mentors, coaches, or just acquaintances: we can all help any child (kid) alleviate stress in their lives.
How to reduce stress in kids
You have to totally commit to providing your presence to the kid you are trying to help. There is no substitute for being there exactly in the moment with the child. Physical presence means IN PERSON… not just on the phone, text, or emails. You are not going to be very effective if you cannot provide your own personal contact for the needy youngster.
If you pass this hurdle, then you can move on to begin to employ four (4) very useful tips to teach kids how to get rid of their stress. The four (4) tips have to be utilized in the proper order to be effective. You cannot jump to tip 3 and up to tip 1 and on to tip 4 and so forth… Using the tips in the proper order is as important as each tip.
Tip # 1 – Watch the Kid’s Behavior
It is hard to watch if you aren’t around or are not taking the time to observe a child’s behavior. Watch for the signs of stress:
- Apathy
- Withdrawal
- Agitation
- Taking on too many projects/events at a time
There is a spectrum here from over activeness to total withdrawal. The closer to either extreme a child gets to the higher the chance that they are stressed.
Tip # 2 – Listen to What the Kid has to Say
Stress cries out for answers – answers kids have a very hard time coming up with on their own because of the lack of experiences that they have had in their life. If you ask, many times kids are just waiting for that open opportunity to let you know what is stressing them out.
Tip # 3 – Talk with the Kid and Offer Valid Options
You have to know the problems before you offer solutions or options. This is why you cannot take the tips out of order to be of any help. Avoid preaching, dictating, berating, or belittling. Allow the child to make their own decision on the best options available to them to alleviate their stress. You have to have confidence that they will stick to their decision much stronger than to a dictate given to them.
Tip # 4 – Repeat Tips 1 through 3 in Exact Order to reduce stress.
Be advised that you may have to do Tip # 4 several times to get a great result in teaching a kid how to get rid of stress.
Hope these simple but effective tips will help you to understand the stress management in kids. There may be many kids around you who are suffering from stress but unable to express their problem. They may be your son or daughter or relative. They may be your student. Observe their behavior and try to teach – how to reduce stress. If you have any questions about stress let us know by your comment.
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