How To Help a Child Cope With Stress and Anxiety

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We have spoken about the causes of stress and anxiety in children, we have also touched on the ways in which stress  and anxiety affect their behaviour. In this article, we shall discuss how to help a child cope or manage stress and anxiety.

Lay a Foundation 

For a start, it is vital for children to be helped to understand that stressful situations are a part of life, and more importantly, that stress can be managed. With this at the back of their minds, they are more likely to seek ways to manage their anxiety or stress. This also opens the door for them to learn positive coping mechanisms, which will benefit them in the long run. So let us look at the ways in which children can be assisted to cope with stress and anxiety.

Be a Role Model

A most overlooked aspect of teaching children, is to model behaviour. All one needs is to include their child in activities. For example, to teach oral hygiene, brush your teeth together with your children, demonstrating the correct way to brush. To teach a child how to be tidy, pick up after yourself, encouraging them to pick up their things as you pick up yours. Therefore whatever positive behaviour you as a parent or guardian would like the child to emulate, you must first model. This holds true for both positive behaviour as well as negative behaviour.

How you manage your own personal stress will exemplify your child’s understanding on how to manage their own stress. If you raise your voice, throw things about, cry, or get aggressive when you are stressed, this is what your children are likely to do when they feel stressed. On the other hand, if you are calm, rational, and seek positive outlets such as exercising, your children will learn that stress can be managed in less harmful ways. If you have challenges managing your stress in a calmer were, it could be of value to seek professional assistance so that you can find alternative stress management techniques.

Listen To Your Children

Amid our very busy and highly demanding lives, it is possible to overlook the value of spending time with children.  Putting children in the care of a nanny, or distracting them with devices is keeping them busy, it can actually make children feel unwanted or unloved. The time spent with children does not have to be prearranged, the more meaningful moments are the ordinary day to day moments. Spending time listening to them without judging or offering advice, whether they are sharing about their day, an interesting event, or a problem, is key in letting them know that they matter.

Establish Healthy Regular Routines
Routines are important because they help to make children feel safe. They also make the home environment stable. If a child knows what they will be doing during the week, over the weekend, or when special events or occasions will happen, they have room to mentally prepare to participate in what is laid out before them. For a child, knowing what is coming next provides predictability, which creates ease in self-management and builds confidence. Not knowing creates anxiety, which can lead to stress, low self-worth, and negative behaviour.

Give Some Control
It is also important for children to feel that they have a say in aspects of their lives. Giving them some room to make choices for themselves builds self-confidence and allows them to learn to make decisions in future. Making some choices for themselves also makes them feel like their lives are under control. For example, while they may not choose the school they attend, they may choose what extracurricular or co-curricular activities to participate in.

Conclusion
It is important for a parent to actively participate in their child’s life because it is tied to the overall well being of the child. Active participation also develops a trusting relationship between a child and their parent. If a child’s behaviour is extreme, for example violence or depression, it could be an indicator of overwhelm. At this point, it is important for a parent to seek professional help for their child.