WHAT CAN PARENTS DO TO HELP THEIR STRESSED CHILD

• Regulate your stress!
  First thing is that parents should maintain their stress levels. The stress in parents affect children more than is evident.

• Child time!
  Find out time for your children. Talk to them, listen to them, and share their world. Talking to them will give you clues about stress, if any. Relaxing and playing with parents will calm them down and give them the much needed support and confidence.

CAUSES OF STRESS IN CHILDREN

GET COMPLETE IDEA ABOUT STRESS IN CHILDREN

• Communication!
  Communication is the key in any relationship. Children who are not open with their parents have difficulty in dealing with stress. On the other hand, if children are open to their parents, feel better, do better and are much happier kids.

• Lonesome and child?
  This combination does not work at all! Encourage your children to make friends. Children with friends face lesser stress related concerns. Fun activities that a child can share with his or her friends can be real stress busters.

• Observe!
  Always keep your eyes and ears open. Parents should observe their children carefully and look for clues that may be due to stress. As parents, you can recognize what can cause stress in your children and avoid the cause or formulate a plan of action to deal with it. This will enable to help their child in a difficult time.

• Encouragement!
  Parents can form an encouraging environment for their children. Appreciate what they do and help in the growth of their self-esteem. Use humor to help them let go of a negative feeling of situation and see it as an opportunity.

• Arm them!
  Not literally though! Parents can help their children learn some relaxation techniques. Also parents can help them prepare for some stressful situations like first day in school

• Tell them it's OK!
  Parents should help their children that it's ok to feel angry, upset, sad, lonely etc. and also tell them ways how to express their feeling in a more constructive way. Tell them they are not alone and you yourself as parents have gone through these feeling at one point or another. This will help them understand and open up to you!

• Time for help!
  If the symptoms of stress don't subside with time, then its time to seek a counselors help. If over a period of time stress is affecting your child's performance at school and at home then a professional help is needed. Parents are usually well equipped to help carry their children through a stressful situation. If you work with them, they will already know what to do in future also!

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