Stress & Children - Chronic Stress In A Child’s Life
When the majority of people think of stress, they do not think about the
stresses of childhood. Children do not have the same way of
communicating that adults have. They do not know why they feel
overwhelmed, heck; they probably do not know they are “overwhelmed”
because it is not a word in their vocabularies. What they do know is
that they feel something bad inside and cannot explain what it is.
Whether the child is a toddler or a teen, stress is very real to those
under the age of majority as it is to adults.
A toddler, for example, can feel separation anxiety when a parent leaves
them at preschool or with a day care provider. This is perfectly normal
and it will subside once the toddler is comfortable with the idea that
mom or dad will pick him/her up everyday. The point is, toddlers cannot
express they are feeling anxious; therefore instead they may have fits
of crying or cling to their parents. The clinging is because the parent
is the one person the toddler feels comfortable and safe with.
As children get older, things such as school, extra-curricular
activities (or too many of them) and tensions at home can cause an
enormous amount of stress. If a child has a hard time fitting in, or if
their parents are over-achievers, the child may feel added pressures
that they do not know how to express. If you find your child is having
trouble concentrating in class, falling asleep in school or while
waiting for dinner, not wanting to attend their after school activities,
maybe you should rethink their schedules.
These are normal stressors that kids face. But what does one do with the
abnormal stressors? How does one teach their child how to deal with
abnormal stresses when the family life or home environment may be a key
contributing factor? If a child lives in a home with an alcoholic or
drug abuser, there is a higher probability that this child will have
serious coping problems as he/she grows. In a situation where emotional,
physical or sexual abuse is present, the emotional scars that this child
needs to hide from the world everyday compound these problems.
Chronic stress in a child’s life will cause significant emotional and
physical problems over time. The same medical problems that an adult
will face with reduced immune system capabilities, long-term depression,
major anxiety and eventually gastrointestinal and cardiac problems.
There are symptoms of stress in children just as there are in adults.
The biggest difference is, since the child is continually growing and
changing, it may be more difficult to identify some of the symptoms.
Younger children may begin to twirl their hair, thumb sucking, picking
on the dog/car, or having temper tantrums or crying fits.
Older children may pick up some of these habits, but may also begin to
bully other children, defy authority on all levels, show erratic mood
swings, or have behavioural changes.
Physical manifestations of stress may be present with unexplained or
repeated headaches, stomachaches, nightmares, and even an inexplicable
fear of the dark or being alone. If a child is showing overt stress at
being left alone with a specific person, pay attention. There is a
reason that child does not want to be left alone with that particular
individual.
If you notice any of these changes or behaviours in your child, or one
that you watch over, pay attention. The sooner that help is obtained,
the less the probability these will be lifetime issues for the child to
have to deal with. |
