How to Reduce Your Child’s Stress

It shouldn’t come as a surprise but kids get stressed too. Their little world can be exhausting and just like adults, certain factors can cause additional strains and stresses.

And just like adults, they need to take time to destress. Unfortunately, children often don’t know how to manage this on their own. Parents can help by learning how to reduce your child’s stress.

Ideas to help reduce stress for kids

Life gets busy. It is just a fact. But there are some things you can do to reduce your child’s stress. They include:

·         Make time for play – play time is crucial in childhood. It allows them to be free and imaginative. There is no pressure to perform. Kids should embrace being a kid.

·         Nature play - playing and running in the fresh air and open spaces does wonders for a child’s mood and how they are feeling.

·         Sleep – Getting an adequate amount of sleep each night is essential for both adults and children but children, in particular, thrive when they have a routine. Sleep plays a vital role in their ability to cope and manage stress.

· Yoga/meditation – yoga and meditation are great tools to destress. The deep breathing opens the airways and calms your body. You can feel the weight lifting with each breath and your worries drift away. Something to get kids thinking about it the right way is – Inhale peace, exhale stress.

·         Hugs – in addition to making children feel loved and supported, long hugs release oxytocin which helps your child to calm down.

·         Don’t overschedule – it is normal for kids to do after school activities and play sports but overscheduling every day and not allowing for downtime can result in them being exhausted and ultimately results in stress. 

·         Music – soothing music can calm a child and lower their heart rate. Give them some time to just relax and soak in the beats, the vibe and see their mood mellow.

·         Dealing with mistakes – everyone makes mistakes and it is essential that children know that it is ok when that happens. Teaching them how to deal with mistakes will give them the ability to grow and learn instead of stressing that they will make an error.

There are many ways to reduce your child’s stress and what works for one child, might not work for another. It is all about finding what works for the individual and using that to destress.