Last Updated on December 8, 2020
Stress management can be quite a challenge for adults, let alone for children. Causes of stress in children can range from the pressure experienced at home to other everyday situations and events that you, as a parent, can’t directly observe, like conflicts with their peers, or anxiety from school projects, for example. Open communication is a key factor if you want to understand the reasons behind your child’s anxiety, but in this article, we are going to provide you with some tips that will help you figure out how to help kids manage stress successfully, and everything on this list is something that you, as a parent, can control and prioritize.
1. Do not overschedule your kids
There is too much weight being put on today’s kids – they are expected to sit at school and achieve great results while having to engage in after school activities and doing homework, while also reserving the time to bond with friends and family. Worth remembering that kids need to eat, sleep, and shower and that days with more than 24 hours are yet to be invented… Do you get what we are trying to say? Time management is the key skill that you, as a parent, must master to help your child manage their stress levels. They might be children, but they also need time to do nothing if they feel like it, and putting them on this excessive path towards achievement can result in great anxiety and stress. Make sure to include regular exercise in your kid’s routine and, of course, help them work on their education. If there is an extracurricular activity they enjoy doing, let them. But be sure to look at their schedule every week and make sure they have downtime as well. It’s important to create a balance between fun activities, obligations, and rest.
2. Make sure they have time to play
If you look at your kid’s schedule, you will probably notice that every activity they have planned is scheduled and, therefore, is something they must do. But what about leaving time for creative activities and other games for kids that won’t put them under pressure? If your kid is raised with a strong notion of productivity in their everyday life, they will forget how to play and enjoy themselves. Introduce them to fun games and activities that also include physical exercise, and you will be killing two birds with one stone. Simple things like cycling are a great way to keep your kids entertained while creating wonderful memories and a strong bond between the two of you.
