Like adults, children can get stressed out too. With the pressures of school, hanging out with their classmates, and pleasing their parents, it’s no wonder more and more children are getting stressed at younger ages. With the rise of social media has come an emphasis on self image for one. An article by the Washington Post states the following:
“Based on data collected from the National Survey of Children’s Health for ages 6 to 17, researchers found a 20 percent increase in diagnoses of anxiety between 2007 and 2012. (The rate of depression over that same time period ticked up 0.2 percent.)”
That being said, how can we tell if anxiety or depression is something our children are experiencing, and more importantly, what can we do about it?
Signs Your Child is Stressed Out
- An increase of crying or tantrum-throwing.
- Nightmares and/or a change in sleeping habits.
- Change in eating habits.
- An increase of physical ailments such as headaches or stomach aches.
- Anxious tics or body movements such as thumb sucking or hair chewing.
- Change in bowel movements.
Keep in mind, some of these symptoms may not be caused by stressed. Some of them could be a result of growing or misbehaviour. If it is related to stress however, there could be a few things causing your child to be stressed out.
- Is your child experiencing separation anxiety?
- Has there been a shift in their family dynamic such as a divorce, or death of a loved one?
- Has your child’s schedule become overwhelming for them?
- Has there been a natural disaster that has impacted your home life such as a flood or fire to the home?
How to Calm a Stressed-Out Child
Calming a child doesn’t take much – it does take action though. Here are a few things you can do to calm your stressed child.
- Stick to a schedule.
Some children like knowing what to expect, and putting them on a schedule helps them to know how their day is going to unfold.
- Stay calm yourself.
Children mimick their parents – if you are in a constant hustle and flurry, your child may take on this behaviour themselves. Take some time out of each day to relax and be calm – especially around your child!
- Plan ahead and set yourself up for success.
Adding onto the tip on “staying calm yourself,” you can set yourself up for success by giving yourself enough time to get everything done and plan ahead!
- Monitor screen time.
Children are exposed to more technology than ever these days and it is impacting their development. Here are some of the impacts it is having on our youth. Limiting your child’s screen time can help boost their mood.
- Spend extra quality time with them.
Doing more things with your child can calm them down. Don’t underestimate the power of quality time! Take your child to the park, play some games with them or coloring can help calm them down.
- Don’t skimp on the hugs and kisses!
Stressed out kiddos need extra love and support.
About Little Human Scholars School in PJ
Little Human Scholars is an all-in-one childcare solution. It is a preschool, playschool, kindergarten, nursery and full day daycare centre (with extended hours) located in the heart of PJ.
In fact, the location is one of the things which makes Little Human Scholars so sought after – it is conveniently nestled near Jalan Gasing, University hospital, PJ Old town, PJ New town, Jaya One, Jaya33, and the PJ IT Mall.
The best part is LHS has premiere services many other schools in PJ don’t offer such as full day daycare with extended hours, CCTV access for parents, and a nifty little phone app called Toddlytic which provides parents with automatic updates on their child’s development, behaviour and health checks.
With full-time guards always present at each of their locations, access to CCTV (which is in every room except the office, bathroom and kitchen areas), and very strict pick-up and drop-off rules, Little Human Scholars treats every child who walks into its hallways as one of their own children!
This place has it all: location, safety, health, IGSCE curriculum and play-based learning. What more could you ask for? Did I mention they also have transportation services and offer meal plans for students? It doesn’t get any better than that.
If you are interested in a tour of one of our centres (that’s right, there’s more than one), all you need to do is fill out the form here or call +6017-7303-025 and an LHS administrative staff will get back with you shortly!
Cheers,
Jana Moreno