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Young Children, Teenagers, and Stress
Is the phrase, "let kids be kids" relevant in our society anymore? Nowadays, many children are overscheduled, overworked, and don't have much time to just "be a kid." With all these extra activities, children have even more things to worry about and stress over. Younger children have worries such as being away from their parents and not getting along with their friends. Children in their middle school years and older teenagers may have the same worries as younger children, but now have additional worries such as being promoted to a new school and following new rules. Other worries that may cause children additional stress are making new friends and getting along with peers; fears of fitting in; and managing the growing amount of school work and projects.
Stress in a child's life can quickly get out of hand - do your children show signs of stress in their lives? It's possible that they're overloaded with activities. Cutting out a few afterschool classes may help them a great deal. Each stressful situation should be handled as it arises, so stress does not build. Children should be taught how to cope with their daily problems. If recognized and handled immediately, stress can be kept at bay. Children can learn valuable coping skills that they can carry with them throughout their lives.
Below are some quick tips for parents and students:
Tips for Parents*
It’s natural for children — no matter where they go to school — to worry about whether this type of incident may someday affect them. Talking with children about these tragedies, and what they watch or hear about them, can help put frightening information into a more balanced context. The CDC offers parents these suggestions to help children through their questions:
Reach out and talk Create opportunities to have your children talk, but do not force them. Try asking questions like, what do you think about these events or how do you think these things happen, to get the conversation started. After an incident of school violence, it's important for children to feel like they can share their feelings, and to know that their fears and anxieties are understandable.
Watch and Listen Be alert for any change in behavior. Are children sleeping more, less or withdrawing from friends or family? Are they behaving in any way out of the ordinary? This may show that they are having trouble coming to terms with this event. Recognizing even small changes in behavior can give you an early warning that something is troubling them.
Share information with other parents Get to know your children’s friends and their parents. Make an on-going effort to check in and talk to other parents about any issues or stress. You don't have to deal with problems alone—the most effective connection you have are parents, schools, and health professionals working together to provide on-going monitoring and support for the health and well-being of your children.
Keep it Going Ask your children how they feel about the event in a week, then in a month and so on. Each child has his or her own way of coping under stressful situations and the best thing you can as a parent is to listen to children and allow them to express their concerns and fears.
Tips for Students*
Recently, a great deal of media attention has been focused on school shootings. Whether or not you were directly affected by a violent event, it is normal to feel anxious about your own safety and to want to make sense of the situation. The CDC offers these suggestions to help kids and teens cope with the aftermath of a traumatic event.
1. Talk to an adult who you can trust This might be your parent, another relative, a friend, neighbor, teacher, coach, school nurse, guidance counselor, member of the clergy, or family doctor. If you've witnessed or experienced violence of any kind, not talking about it can make feelings build up inside and cause problems. If you are not sure where to turn, call your local crisis intervention center or a national hotline.
If you or someone you know needs immediate help please contact the one of the following crisis hotlines:
- Youth Crisis Number: 1-800-499-9130
- Youth Mental Health Line: 1-888-568-1112
- Child-Help USA: 1-800-422-4453 (24 hour toll free)
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-888-628-9454 for Spanish-speaking callers)
2. Stay active Go for a walk, volunteer with a community group, play sports, write a play or poem, play a musical instrument, or join a club or after-school program. Trying any of these can be a positive way to handle your emotions.
3. Take the initiative to make your school or community safer Join an existing group that is promoting non-violence in your school or community, or launch your own effort. Safeyouth.org can connect you with national organizations and provide you with information and resources to take action in your community.
4. Stay in touch with family If possible, stay in touch with trusted family, friends, and neighbors to talk things out and help deal with any stress or worry.
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*Copyright © Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reprinted with permission.
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