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One of the main reasons for stress in children
is the demands made on their time and potential.
Apart from academics, most parents today
push their children into a plethora of extracurricular
activities. Most kids nowadays have crammed
schedules with almost every minute accounted
for, and barely any time for relaxation
or play.
Family plays the most important role in
a child’s life. Children are especially
sensitive to even the most minor changes
in the behaviour of family members towards
each other. If parents argue or adolescent
siblings are in a bad mood, a child will
perceive it almost immediately. Sibling
rivalry, if it gets out of hand, will play
on a child’s mind almost all the time
in the same way that adults obsessively
think of their worries. Constant criticism
of a child’s shortcomings can lead
to resentment and fear. If there is a breakdown
or lack of communication between parent
and child, the latter tends to feel unloved,
unwanted and unimportant. An unstable home
environment shatters a child’s sense
of security as well as his self-confidence
in the long run.
Any kind trauma, like the death of a loved
one, a natural disaster, sexual or emotional
abuse, violence, alcoholism or drug use
by a member of the household, can have a
detrimental effect on any human being’s
state of mind. Children are especially susceptible.
A child’s inability to cope with the
extreme emotions born of tragedy can lead
to various stress-related psycho-social
disorders.
One of the unusual sources of stress in
children is other children. Bullying and
insensitive remarks from school or play
mates can cause low self-esteem. Peer pressure
can result in a state of conflict and make
a child feel embarrassed about his clothes
and other possessions, his intellect, or
the way he looks.
Pressure to excel leads to tremendous stress
in children. The frustration over not being
able to meet expectations can lead a child
to believe that he is stupid or worthless.
This leads to stress, because of which the
child may be unable to function normally,
thus adding to the pressure and leading
to higher levels of tension.
Most adult behavioural
and psychological problems can be traced
back to an unhappy childhood. Ensuring that
your child is happy and stress-free is ensuring
his mental well-being for life.
Read More on Stress in Children
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