My Son Suffers From Stress At School. How Can I Help You?
One of the concerns of some parents is often: “ my child suffers from stress at school”. Well, don’t worry too much about it, as it is very common for children and teenagers to feel that way. As a mother, you can’t help it, but you can help them develop healthy ways to cope with and solve everyday problems.
It’s worth noting that children generally don’t start a conversation about what worries them. However, they want their parents to understand them and help them deal with the situation. For that reason, it’s important to know how to help them.
My Child Suffers from Stress at School: 9 Ways to Help
Maybe school hours seem endless. Perhaps the relationship with colleagues is not satisfactory for him. All of this, added to lessons and other activities, can be enough causes to provoke anxiety.
With these strategies, you can help your child cope with stress at school. Putting them into practice will allow her to learn to deal with tensions in the future.
1. Make your interest clear
When you notice that something is worrying your child, talk to him. Since it’s not always accessible, you should look for the right time and words to do this.
If, on the contrary, you do this abruptly, he may feel even more pressured. Ideally, wait until lunchtime, or for a moment while walking in the park or playing together.
Be careful not to put your child in an awkward situation. You just need to make a simple observation to show that you care about him. For example, you can say phrases like, “I think you’re still mad about what happened at recess.”
Also, avoid the tone of the confrontation, such as: “What’s wrong with you?” Use a friendly tone and avoid saying, “Are you still mad about what happened the other day?” Your child will feel like he’s a nuisance and that everything he does only provokes scolding.
2. Listen to your child
After making the observation to your child, ask him to share his concern and listen carefully.
Keep calm, show interest with a broad perspective, and avoid the tendency to interrupt while he speaks. Try not to blame him, judge him, or lecture him. The idea is to hear what the problem is to find out what happened.
3. Name what is happening with the child
If the child still cannot explain the feelings, but seems to be angry or frustrated, use these same words, that is, “anger” and “frustration”.
I sso will help you identify your feelings. Naming them promotes communication and helps develop emotional self-awareness. It also helps to channel stress rather than expressing it in the form of extreme behavior.
4. Show that you understand your child’s feelings
Verbalize the feelings you think your child might be experiencing at that time. For example, you might say, “I understand. You must have been upset because they didn’t let you play in the backyard.” In this way, the child feels understood and their anxiety tends to decrease.
5. Help think of things to do
If the problem is a specific situation at school that causes stress, talk to him or her about what to do about it. Encourage thinking of ideas, but don’t do all the work.
Instead, let the child participate; this will help her gain self-confidence. Try to support their opinions and ask, “How do you think this will help you?” Then, if necessary, complement the idea.
6. Share positive issues
Often, after children and teenagers express themselves and are listened to, frustrations begin to subside. However, after that, try to talk about topics that help ease the tension. Keep your focus on things that make your child feel better.
7. Reduce activities that burden your child
Certain activities can cause a lot of frustration. Then focus on a way to change this situation. For example, if extracurricular activities are time-consuming, narrow them down to what your child enjoys most or that are relaxing.
That way, he can do his homework more smoothly. And, above all, make sure he has time to rest and renew himself. It is essential to respect the hours of sleep.
8. Keep yourself always available
Even if your child doesn’t always want to talk about it, let him know that his opinion is important and that he can always count on you. If talking isn’t the best option at the moment, try starting an activity you can do together.
9. Be patient
Don’t get carried away by the impulse to solve all your child’s problems. Instead, focus on helping the child become a person who knows how to deal with frustration so that he or she can calm down when necessary.
Also, for the child to have less stress, you must be able to control your own impatience.
In short, the solution to the stress your child experiences at school involves finding out what happened and providing the emotional tools necessary for him to solve the problem on his own. Listen to him and make him feel that his opinion is important to you.
Also, help him name his feelings; this is the first step in understanding what is happening to us. Stay close and be patient. However, if despite following these recommendations, stress persists and the child has physical and emotional problems, do not hesitate to seek help from a professional.
