Thursday, November 29, 2012

Teaching and Understanding Childhood Stress Management Skills


Are children more stressed today than in years past? Tougher academics, more competition, social challenges, health risks, and rapid-fire audiovisual hype from media certainly appear greater. The uncertainty of a secure financial future is felt by 30% of children, says one research study. Coping isn’t about eliminating stress. It’s about learning resistance and adaptation skills. Exercises abound for teaching kids stress management, but cover these bases: Learn sleep skills, relaxation skills, detachment-from-worry skills, how to understand positive thinking, the benefits of proper diet and regular exercise, and how to pursue balance. Improved self-esteem, increased self-confidence, improved creativity, and healthier relationships with peers and family will result. Consider downloading and saving a copy of this government report on child stress, and then give it to your clients and other could benefit.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/pdf/Childhood_Stress.pdf