Is your child in stress?

Arvind Kumar Otta, P. No: JMI3458, Jan 24, 2012, We are often busy in our daily hard routine and often feel stressed. We always try to fill these gap and come out from stress, but would we think that our child also feel stressed or feel so down?
Probably most of us think that child period is a stage when child are carefree, child have no any tension   or worries, and no any responsibility. Lots of studies tell us that child also experience high stress parallel to adults. Similar to adults child also feel difficulties in share and handling stress. As care provider and parents, We need to recognize that situation when our child are encountering with stress. Even unknowingly, we also create a environment that will be very stressful for our child.

Reason of stress
If you think only negative phenomena produce or cause for stress then it will be incomplete truth. According to me Positive phenomena also cause of stress.
Family events are broader cause for stress. Separation, Rejection, Fights, Physical abuse, break up of a family and death of parents / grandparent / sibling  is main negative phenomena that produce stress. Positive phenomena like birthday parties, new pet and birth of sibling produce stress. Stress due to birth of sibling can be describe through  Electra and Oedipus complex theory of Sigmund Freud. Busy family routine is also a important factor to boost up children stress, in this case parents can not spend more time with their children due to their work.
School environment is also play a major role in develop or produce stress. Negative phenomena in school like unstructured classroom, unclear topics, unwanted pressure by teachers and peer groups are important. Positive phenomena like introduce new gadget to study are create stressful environment.
Need to aware of what happening with child. Sudden changes in behavior may be related to stress.
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Sign and symptom of stress
Some sign and symptom indicate that our child may be encountering stress or some kind of problem that may be not stress but it can produce stress. Following sign and symptom are noticeable:

Cognitive Symptoms:
♦ Irresolution, Poor Judgment
♦ Unable to concentrate
♦ Loss of objectivity
♦ Fearful anticipation
♦ Constant worrying
♦ Memory problem

Emotional Symptom:
♦ Sense of loneliness and isolation
♦ High temper
♦ Overwhelmed feeling
♦ Irritability , impatience
♦ Unable to relax
♦ Moodiness

Behavioral Symptom:
♦ Impulsive behavior
♦ Neglecting responsibilities
♦ Nail biting, Pacing
♦ Isolate from peer group
♦ Overreacting
♦ Sleeping too much or little

Physical Symptom:
♦ Headaches and backaches
♦ Nausea, dizziness
♦ Muscles rigidity
♦ Frequent colds
♦ Chest Pain
♦ Fast Heartbeat
♦ Constipation

How to reduce stress
We are familiar with the word “Stress” yet we are find difficulties to cope with stress. Child are unfamiliar to this word so firstly they need to understand these word and its objectivity. Teach them names or word for their feelings and suitable way to express their feeling.At next step they need help in learning to manage and function with the stress they feel.
Following factor helps to reduce stress level in child:
Positive environment: Experience of stress can limit an individual’s concept and confident. Help children to see or find positivity in themselves and help to feel that they are worthwhile person. Listen without interrupting and judging them or the situation. Help the child to feel comfortable to express their feeling. You can help to correct any misconception that the children may have about themselves or their feelings.
Present a Good example: Children learn most of thing that will be negative or positive learn from parents. Children also learn, imitate, and coping strategies with stress in same way that they see in adults. It is sufficient to explain why something is being done. So present a good example by your activity.
Help them through stories: Children have not the appropriate word or concept to express themselves, so sometimes child not able to talk about their distress. Most of time they feel shy, embarrassed or guilt. If we try to talk them using adult logic they can not be understandable for children. Then how can we talk about fear and problems? Stories are a great way.
When a parent tells a story to a child, an atmosphere of warmth and intimacy is created that is comforting for parents as well as children. It helps as a parent to know that storytelling is a simple, natural, and age old technique that can be used to comfort children.

Arvind Kumar Otta, P. No: JMI3458, Jan 24, 2012