Let's face it: Nearly every parent is stressed to the max these days. But stress isn't just an adult problem. In fact, researchers are now saying that kids are battling chronic stress at similar rates to their parents and it's taking a serious toll on their health.
What The Numbers Say
Most experts agree that anxiety, depression, and substance use rates have tremendously spiked for children and teens in recent years. In fact, researchers with The National Survey of Children’s Health reported that nearly 10 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 17 live with an anxiety or stress-related disorder.
Furthermore, around 35 percent of American children experience stress-related physical health problems. These problems can include frequent stomach aches or headaches, trouble concentrating, sudden introversion, and even obesity or other weight problems.
While these numbers are startling, the more concerning issue is the fact that these numbers are up dramatically from where they were 20 or even 10 years ago. Also, many parents don't even realize that their children are stressed, which means that many children suffering from chronic stress aren't receiving the help and support they truly need.
Why Kids Are Stressed
If parents want to help their children handle stress, they first need to know why children are experiencing such elevated levels of chronic stress right now. Many parents assume that children end up stressed largely due to issues at school, but many experts say that's not the only cause or even the primary one.
According to a recent survey conducted by WebMB, children's home environments are actually one of the leading causes of stress for kids. In fact, nearly 60 percent of the families surveyed reported that their family experienced at least one stressful event over the past year — and kids are picking up on them at high rates.
Kids are also struggling to develop resiliency because their parents are too stressed to focus on spending quality time with their kids. When this happens, children don't learn how to cope with the stress that they're experiencing and instead simply continue to pile the stress on with no healthy outlet.
Many children also experience stress due to increased rates of bullying, especially cyber bullying. Since bullying can happen online now, children never get a break from the harassment, even when they're at home. Furthermore, cyberbullying attacks aren't just seen by the victim — they "go viral" and live permanently for the entire world to see.
And, of course, there's a lot more academic pressure on children these days due to high-stakes testing, graduation requirements, and incredibly demanding college admission requirements.
Signs That Your Child Is Experiencing Stress
Sometimes it's hard to determine if your child is experiencing stress, especially if your child is young. Instead of asking your child if they feel stressed or looking for adult signs, parents should consider some of the following behavior patterns that may occur when a child is stressed, according to Scholastic.
Sleep disturbances can be a sign that your child is experiencing stress. This can include nightmares or bedwetting, but it can also be as simple as inability to fall asleep or stay asleep through the night. Unfortunately lack of sleep compounds stress, so this can quickly cause your child to spiral.
Also, concentration issues and incomplete school work can also help parents recognize that their child is stressed out. While this can also be a sign of attention deficit disorder, the more likely cause is usually stress.
Increased aggression can also be a sign that your child is experiencing overwhelming stress. For older children, this may appear in the form of angry outbursts, bullying, or even damaging property. For younger children, however, their stress can come out in the form of physical aggression, such as biting, kicking, and hitting.
Finally, symptoms of physical illness, such as stomach aches, headaches, or even muscle pain can all be indicators of stress.
How Parents Can Help
Believe it or not, you don't need a magic solution to help your child cope with stress. In fact, the experts at KidsHealth say parents can help their child cope with stress by doing very simple things.
First and foremost, make sure that your child is getting proper rest and adequate nutrition. This helps your child by meeting their basic needs, which can help boost their ability to cope with stressful events.
Also, don't underestimate the value of quality family time. Kids often feel better when parents spend time with them doing fun, enjoyable activities. This also helps kids see that you love them and find time with them to be important, which can ultimately help them open up to you about what's bothering them.
Along those same lines, reading books that discuss stress can help young kids identify with characters and learn how they cope. Books like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day are great, quick reads that can really help children learn how to overcome those hard days.
And, of course, you can always help children cope ahead by talking through potentially stressful events before they happen. This can help with events like moving, switching schools, or even just going to the doctor. Kids feel more at ease when they know what to expect.
Stress is an inevitable part of life, but that doesn't mean that our kids need to be plagued with chronic stress from a young age. By recognizing just how stressed your child is and learning how to help them cope, you can do a lot to boost their resiliency and ultimately help them live a better life.
Sources: The National Survey of Children’s Health, Journal of Caring Sciences, WebMB, KidsHealth