3 Easy Ways to Help Your Child Beat Stress This School Year

Nan Menon

Many American adults find their daily lives shaped by some degree of stress, and an ever-constant feeling that there just aren’t enough hours in the day. In the world of 2015, the same thing can easily be said for thousands, if not millions, of American children and teens.

Beat Stress This School Year

Now more than ever before, young children and teens can find themselves weighed down by the expectations that have come to define their personal, academic, and home life.

Here are a few simple tips to help your child beat the stress that can come with the new school year.

Beat Stress This School Year | Fight the “Hurry Up” Culture

Our world refuses to stop for anyone. As a result, many of us (and our families) find ourselves pushed along by a “Hurry Up” mentality. In a world where segmented and regimented routines dominate, and where free time is a rare commodity, it becomes incredibly difficult to defy the looming sense of urgency.

As a result of the constant rush, Americans both young and old have seen a significant rise in the physical side effects of stress. A 2014 study by the American Psychological Association found that during the school year nearly a third of pre-teens and teens reported stress levels above the recommended average.

The simplest way help your child (and yourself) find relief from the stress of the rush is to break from the rush. It’s true that taking a break from a daily routine isn’t always easy, but it’s almost always worth it.  

Beat Stress This School Year | Spending Time Outdoors

Studies continue to show that the amount of time the average child spends playing outdoors continues to diminish at an alarming rate. The effects of screen-time over nature-time have been noted time and time again.

Where the studies concerning screen and technology-time continue to support a growing list of negative effects, the studies that focus on time spent outdoors continue to demonstrate positive correlations between time spent outside and dozens of factors.

Here are just a few of the ways that children and teens are positively influenced by time spent outdoors:

  • Stress levels have been shown to fall within minutes of entering a green space.

  • Time outdoors has been shown to minimize the effects of ADHD.

  • Schools that offer environmental education programs often score higher on standardized tests in math, writing, listening, and reading.

Beat Stress This School Year | Listen

While this may be the simplest piece of advice on this list, it’s often the most overlooked. The value of speaking with and listening to our children is immeasurable. Something as seemingly ordinary as a nightly dinner table discussion can be all it takes to help your child ease their concerns and address the issues that may be causing them undue stress.

While there’s always the classic “What did you do in school today?” there are dozens of other possible avenues for conversation:

  • What’s your favorite topic that you’re studying right now?

  • What’s your least favorite thing that you’re studying right now?

  • Is there a topic that you’re having trouble with?

  • Is there a new topic that you’ve found you’re really good at?

  • Is there anything coming up that you’ve been looking forward to?

  • Is there anything coming up that you’re worried or nervous about?

Truthfully, the possibilities for a dinner time conversation (or any conversation) with your child are endless! Regardless of what you and your child choose to talk about, the most important thing is to hear what she is saying. When we do that it becomes possible to identify both the positives and the negatives in their academic and personal life. By identifying both, it becomes possible to encourage the positives and address the negatives.

Take Away

Each child has their own unique set of needs, desires, and goals. Trying to meet those needs, desires, and goals can become difficult in the world of today. Through regular communication and support, it becomes possible for parents and teachers, alike, to help a child fight the stress and anxiety that’s become all too prevalent for today’s youth. With the help of their family and their school, every student has the ability to reach their full potential and find success.

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