School Has Begun! 3 Tips to Help Your Kids Manage Stress

School is full of stressors many parents are not aware of. It's not the same as when we were in school. Classrooms are overstimulating, demands keep getting higher, and the threats are getting scarier. 

Sometimes it's easy to know when our kids are stressed, but other times we miss it.  They might seem overtired, bored, or irritable.  Maybe they are withdrawn and quiet or melting down and acting out.  We want to help them, but sometimes nothing seems to work. If you’re looking for some direction, give these things a try!

One-On-One Time – 15 minutes 

Spending just a little bit of focused time where your child gets to have you all to themselves can make a big difference for kids.  You can practice listening, reflecting what they are saying, narrating what they are doing, and validating them as needed.  Let them direct the play and conversation, and you follow their lead.  It helps ground them, keep them connected to you, and helps them feel seen and heard after a crazy day where they might feel lost in the mix.

Protect Their Downtime

Kids are busy, and some kids like to be really busy! However, they don’t realize how important their rest and downtime are for their health and development.  All kids of all ages need time with low demands to rest, reflect, play and create for their development and their joy. Introverted and sensitive kids especially need this to be well.  As a family, see how you can show the importance of this by prioritizing downtime just as much as anything else on your calendar.

Help Your Child Identify a Support Person

Some kids suffer in silence at school and let out all their frustration at home.  This can be confusing for parents and for teachers.  It can be a big help to teach your child how to identify an adult at school they trust and can turn to for support.  Some kids are afraid to ask for help or think they won’t get it if they do ask.  Parents can help kids start to look for adults they can build a connection with when they are entering a new grade or a new school.  This can include a teacher of course, but also the school nurse, counselor, or even the admin staff at the front desk.  Help kids think about early signs of needing help, and practice the ways they would ask for it.  This will make it easier to try when they are at school and too stressed to think about it.

Parents do their best to support their kids, but sometimes we can still feel lost and confused, not knowing how to help. Therapy may also be a great option to support you and your kiddo if stress seems to be climbing. 

Therapists can help kids better understand and express their feelings, cope with difficult situations and find solutions through creative and playful outlets. Therapy also helps parents to better understand their child's needs as well as their own, so they can feel more confident and connected with their family.

If you think therapy might be helpful for your family, give us a call at 715-441-1828, or go to our CONTACT page.

Written by: Cindy Grajkowski, MS Ed, LMFT