No Stress

stressed out? stop and smell the roses

stress management quote:

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Helping your Child Manage Stress

Children experience stress. Adults don't have a monopoly over it. And in our crazy world, kids suffer from stress more and more.

stress management tip - stop and smell the roses

did you know some flowers have stress relief powers?

Bach Flowers, for example, can help you reduce stress

You can see more and more children wearing glasses. More and more children have juvenile diabetes, asthma, dyslexia, hyperactivity, etc. Stress is a significant contributor in all of these conditions.

Why are the numbers growing so fast lately?

Why do children suffer more from stress and stress-related symptoms?

Perhaps a good place to start looking for the causes of kid stress would be to look at a kid's schedule:

Children nowadays start going to daycare and preschool at a very young age, and they stay there for many hours. In some countries, before they even start the first grade, preschools make academic demands on children, at a young age, when they aren't ready for it.

When older kids go to school, they are forced to sit still for long hours in class, and then they are assigned homework, to make the “fun” last longer.

By the time children get home and finish their homework, loving parents provide extra-curricular activities. Parents do this because they believe that providing more activities means that they take better care of their children, provide for them.

...let's stop here.

With such a busy schedule, is it really so hard to understand why children are stressed? Especially when lots of kids don't even like school?

And with such a busy schedule, when do kids have the time to just be kids?

So how can you help your child manage stress?

Now, I'm not saying quit your job and stay at home with your children. You have to make a living, and you deserve a career if you want one.

But if you have the choice of your child's preschool or school, why don't you choose one that recognizes the needs of children?

When you have your children at home, try consulting with them: ask them which activities they want to do, give them a choice.

Why should we assume we know better than our kids what's right for them? Every person, at every age, knows what's right for himself or herself. You just need to give your kids the opportunity to listen to themselves. Your job is to make sure that they don't hurt themselves, or the ones around them.

And last but not least – a very important factor – free time. No organized activities. Just allow your kids time to play, have fun, relax. Let your children be children. When will they ever get to be children if not now?

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stress management quote:

Helping your Child Manage Stress