Stress in Children

Stress in Children

The waiting game of the application season can unnecessarily foster stress and worry in even the strongest of children. Suddenly, the swirling ideas of the unknown, leaving old friends and making new ones, navigating new routines and environments can leave children riddled with fear and anxiety. Our friends at Spark and Stitch Institute tackle the value of worry—within the goal of equipping students with the tools to manage anxiety head-on.

Worry is such an important function, that instead of it being controlled by just one part of the brain, it is part of an entire “fear network” that keeps us alive. Though the exact pathways are still not entirely clear, one simple way to think about it is that worry is an ongoing balancing act between our alarm brain and our cognitive brain.

The goal is not to take away all of the things that cause even mild stress in children but to help them handle it. Avoiding everything that causes your child concern can inadvertently make them more anxious. Of course throwing them in the deep end doesn’t help either. The art of helping children handle worry is finding the correct dosage for your child or teen. It is helpful to remind your child or teenager that experiencing stress and anxiety is a part of being human and that handling worry takes practice.

Help your child or teen distinguish between stress that is, “just right” and stress that is, “too much.” For example, when you talk about “just right” stress, you might help your child brainstorm the ways that worry can actually help them move towards their goals.

From our friends at Spark and Stitch Institute.