The Millionaire Method: What the Rich Don’t Want You to Know
By Ifediogor Uche
How to help kids reduce stress is a question that I am sure many of us have asked ourselves at one point, and it can be difficult to make sense of it and manage kids with stress. After reading this blog post about how to help kids reduce stress you will have a better understanding of how to help them to manage stress.
Stress is part of every day life. Humans undergo stress, both young and old. However, children are not exception when it comes to the topic if discussion “stress”.
Children experience stress too. It could come as a result of school activities, family, friends, etc. It’s part of kids life.
10 Ways To Help Kids Reduce Stress.
There will always be stress, but it’s all about how you manage it.
More often than not it is easy for adults to identify stress and manage it unlike kids who may have little or no knowledge about it.
As adults, we figure out ways to cope with the stress in our lives. However, the onus is on us to teach our children to do the same.
How can you help your child cope with stress? Here are 10 ways you can help your kids reduce stress.
1. Rejuvenation.
Kids can feel worried and stressed out.
Kids need time to unwind after a long day. As their parents you are their first teacher. It is your responsibility to teach them what they don’t know.
Teach your kids to listen to music, read books for pleasure. Go out and visit their friends and have fun. You can as well take them out to watch a show, read a book, or any activity they enjoy doing.
2. Cutting Down Activities.
You have heard the saying ” Too many cooks spoils the broth”.
Doing too many things at once can be exhausting for adults or grown ups let alone kids. This could stress you out to the bone.
Kids are can’t handle many things at a time. Cutting down their activities would help manage their stress.
Don’t over-schedule your child/children with too many activities. Eliminate some after-school activities to enable them work on their homeworks.
3. Get More Sleep.
Kids are not left out on this. As parents teach, and help your kids to get enough sleep.Their brains and bodies need to rest. This will help them to improve in school performances.
4. Practice Relaxation Exercises.
As parents you have to engage your kids in some relaxation activities that would keep them come alive mentally.
Activities like deep breathing, muscle relaxation, coloring, yoga, meditation would serve a great deal. These would help them feel better and reduce stress for them.
5. Connect With Your Kids.
Is your kid stressed out? Have you noticed any change in their mood? Go close to them, connect and talk with them.
Ask them about their day, the challenges, listen to their concerns. They might be passing a torrid time and having challenges they don’t know how to go about.
Help them solve that problem, and also teach them how to be positive and solve problems on their own.
6. Let Them Express Their Feelings.
Sometimes kids may not initiate a conversation about what’s bothering them until you let them express themselves.
Stress can come from anywhere. It can come from within or outside. Teach your kids to let the stress out and encourage them.
Be their shoulder when they cry, be there too to laugh with them. In summation be supportive. They need you. Listen to your child and let their feelings be heard.
7. Playtime, Downtime And Family Time (‘PDF’)
Kids needs this each day outside their academic works. Allow space for this.Offer yourself as a play partner to them. Take out time for a walk, eat out and a visit to play grounds. Allow them once, watch their favorite TV show, you can be their with them.
You can work through their stress by playing with them. Out of excitement they can even open up to you on what is bordering them at the moment.
A high quality family time will create a bond with your kids. It will show them that you care. Encourage your kids on this.
8. Don’t Criticize Your Kids.
Even when your kid fails that homework, it is your duty to bring him or her to light. Don’t criticize them. Take out time to find out what went wrong.
Nobody is perfect, kids are bound to make mistakes. Reach out to help them and not condemn them. Kind words are like medicine just as laughter. It’s a soothing relief.
Negative response can bring down the spirit of a child, anytime, any day. It can even increase their stress level, fear and anxiety.
9. Teach Kids To Listen To Their Bodies.
It is important kids know their body. Our bodies has a very good way of signalling to us that we are stressed. It could be that your kids can’t sleep at night or they are always nervous.
One of my little cousin, whenever he’s stressed out he would start coughing. This overtime has become a redflag for stress. Hence, he was taught to always pay close attention to his body. Listen to it and know when that comes to take a rest.
Teach your kids to know when their body feels different from usual and to take action or call for help when it is beyond them. It will help them reduce stress.
10. Teach Your Kids How To Pray.
If you are still looking for ways to help your kids reduce stress then this is very important, teaching them how to pray.
You should incorporate this into their daily routines. This is a very good tool to deal with stress.
Worries will not solve problems or any issue bothering us. It can only give rooms to negativity and it can affect our health. Teach your kids to take every of their problem to God. Teach thiem how to pray. Make it a lifestyle for them.