Home » Partners & Parents » Single Parent Activities » Relax!

Relax!

© Kim Martin

Life can be very stressful for parents. As adults, we go about our busy days and task-filled nights, we become tired, unfocused, and cranky. We worry too much sometimes about our responsibilities and end up taking out our anger or frustration on others.

Stress has been shown to cause high-blood pressure, gatrointestinal discomfort, migraines, and obesity. Fortunately, many adults have listened to the advice of Dr. Phil, Oprah, and the like and have started to take better care of themselves by relaxing and managing the stressors in their lives. Well done, parents...now, what about our kids?

Childhood Stress

Kids have lots to be stressed-out about. Today's world can be scary even to the bravest of kids. Parents divorcing, grandparents dying, grades in school dropping, being involved in too many extra-curricular activities, friends moving away, even spats with siblings are enough to get kids worrying which can lead to nightmares, insomnia, even depression.

Many experts agree that children need to learn how to cope and manage the stress in their lives. Simply talking to your children often and paying attention to them can help reduce their stress levels and help them cope. In an excerpt from the article, Childhood Stress, Dr. Kim Rutherford of KidsHealth.org agrees,

Proper rest and good nutrition can help increase your child's coping skills, as can good parenting. Make time for your child each day. Whether she needs to talk or just be in the same room with you, make yourself available. Even as your child gets older, this "quality time" is important. It's really hard for some people to come home after work, get down on the floor, and play with their kids or just talk to them about their day -especially if they've had a stressful day themselves. But by showing interest in your child's life, no matter what her age, you're showing her that she's important to you.

Another way to insure your child's stressors are kept to a minimum is to make sure you, the parent, are setting a good example, and not contributing to the stress. According to the article mentioned above,

Your child's stress level may be raised by more than just what's happening in her own life. Does she hear you talking about troubles at work, worrying about a relative's illness, or fighting with your spouse about financial matters? Parents need to be careful how they discuss such issues when their children are near because children will pick up on their parents' anxieties and start to worry themselves.