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Continual or recurring problems, such as frequent headaches, sleep difficulties, overeating or refusing to eat, and crying easily are signs of stress in children. Stress in children is increasing and parents often miss noticing the symptoms. It's important to learn to identify stress and stressors and teach coping techniques.

Types of Stress

Eustress is good for the body. It's a positive reaction to stressors that motivate individuals. Eustress releases adrenaline and noradrenaline hormones. For example, a person gets a drink because of the eustress of thirst.

Distress is a negative reaction of readjusting to stressors. A person needs to convert distress to eustress or use techniques to cope with distress. For example, a child screams or cries when stressed.

Hypostress is excessive stress that causes harm, often in physical illness such as hypertension, anger, rage, depression, grief, or fatigue. A child in hypostress may hit people, refuse to eat, or not sleep.

Hyperstress is too little stress leaving a person unchallenged and bored. This can lead to low self-esteem and depression. A child with hyperstress may refuse to play with friends and spend hours watching television.

Identifying Stress in Children

The key to recognizing stress in children is to notice behaviour changes. When a child changes sleep, eating, play, reactions to everyday activities or even communication habits consider stress maybe a problem. When a major life change occurs watch for stress symptoms. This includes divorce, death, natural disasters, academic difficulties, loss of friends from a move, or a long illness for the child or close family member.

Managing Anxieties

Children need skills to manage stress that cause anxiety. Help kids practice these simple techniques.

Laughter relaxes a person. Read joke books and encourage children to find something funny to laugh at each day. These should be positive reasons and not poking fun at others, or causing embarrassment.

Exercise produces a chemical change and release endorphins that help people feel better. Jumping jacks, stretches, running in place or playing a sport all relieve tension.

Counting is proven method for calming people. Counting engages the left side of the brain that's more logical and orderly. This helps a person switch thinking and refocus. Work at different counting strategies such as counting to twenty by twos, start counting at a person's age, or the simple counting to ten slowly.

Healthy habits improve a person's body and mind. Rest and proper sleep refreshes a person's mind and body. Good health gives a child needed energy to think and work out problems. Grabbing for a fruit or taking a rest break develops healthier attitudes and avoids craving sweets when anxious.

Reading relaxes children and may illustrate problem solving. This is called bibliotherapy. So, discovering how Louis Braille, a blind child, developed a written code to help blind people read can inspire children to look for creative solutions.

Teach a child to pray as studies show that people who pray and attend church are happier. It helps little ones look beyond themselves to a trust a higher power.

Help a child communicate about problems. Be available to listen. Help kids learn to identify and state the real problem and express feelings. Help children listen to advice and try ideas, but understand that sometimes they just need to talk. Use stories that illustrate solutions.

Soothing music calms people. Help children discover music that makes them feel better and simply tunes to sing.

Building coping skills equips children for life and keeps stress from becoming distress. Parents can also develop a calm response behaviour that models coping with stress.