Are We Stressing Out Our Kids?
The following information is abstracted from the online article. Thanks to the School Counselor for the link to this article.
Teaching students to regulate stress
A number of strategies are available to help navigate the stresses of school. Parents can start by listening to their children. If a child complains of stress, anxiety, depression or hopelessness, parents should pay attention.
There are many children, however, who do not or cannot verbalize their stress. In these cases, parents need to be on the lookout for other signs. Some children may not want to stop or slow down their schedules for fear of disappointing their parents.
1. Strategies for parents of younger children
- Listen and notice any expressions of anxiety
- Talk with them about their feelings
- Brainstorm with them to find things they can do to feel better
- Make sure they are getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 9-11 hours for children 5-12 years old.
- Make sure you are not overscheduling them
2. Strategies for parents of older children
- Make sure they are not overscheduling themselves
- Make sure they are getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 8.5-9.5 hours a day for adolescents
- Look at your assumptions about what constitutes a good college and what you are communicating, perhaps unknowingly, to them
3. Strategies for parents of children of all ages
- Look at how you define success and how you communicate that to your children
- Limit media time
- Increase family time, especially eating meals together as a family
4. Strategies for students
- Think about how you define success and make the appropriate changes to your attitude
- Root out any tendencies to perfectionism
- Be aware of tendencies to be overly competitive
- Ask yourself whether you are being less creative and open to exploration in exchange for high grades and test scores
It goes without saying that schools have a part to play in reducing stress.
5. Strategies for schools
- Examine the testing, homework and final exam policies
- Stop publishing the honor roll in newspapers
- Stop listing where kids are going to college in community newspapers and in graduation ceremonies
- Look at teaching and assessment policies
Teaching students to regulate stress
A number of strategies are available to help navigate the stresses of school. Parents can start by listening to their children. If a child complains of stress, anxiety, depression or hopelessness, parents should pay attention.
There are many children, however, who do not or cannot verbalize their stress. In these cases, parents need to be on the lookout for other signs. Some children may not want to stop or slow down their schedules for fear of disappointing their parents.
1. Strategies for parents of younger children
- Listen and notice any expressions of anxiety
- Talk with them about their feelings
- Brainstorm with them to find things they can do to feel better
- Make sure they are getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 9-11 hours for children 5-12 years old.
- Make sure you are not overscheduling them
2. Strategies for parents of older children
- Make sure they are not overscheduling themselves
- Make sure they are getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 8.5-9.5 hours a day for adolescents
- Look at your assumptions about what constitutes a good college and what you are communicating, perhaps unknowingly, to them
3. Strategies for parents of children of all ages
- Look at how you define success and how you communicate that to your children
- Limit media time
- Increase family time, especially eating meals together as a family
4. Strategies for students
- Think about how you define success and make the appropriate changes to your attitude
- Root out any tendencies to perfectionism
- Be aware of tendencies to be overly competitive
- Ask yourself whether you are being less creative and open to exploration in exchange for high grades and test scores
It goes without saying that schools have a part to play in reducing stress.
5. Strategies for schools
- Examine the testing, homework and final exam policies
- Stop publishing the honor roll in newspapers
- Stop listing where kids are going to college in community newspapers and in graduation ceremonies
- Look at teaching and assessment policies
Labels: parenting
posted by Jiru at
4:28 AM
