We adults have messed up this world pretty badly and the children will be the ones to suffer because of it. Many people say “what could a child possibly have to be stressed out about?” Clearly those people not only forgot what it’s like to be a kid but don’t have a clear picture of the world in which we live today. The increase in young suicide victims is appalling and a testament to the need for stress management in children if ever there was one. Peer pressure, lack of acceptance, parental discord and scholastic expectations are only a few of the burdens that kids carry around on their shoulders and in their minds every day. How can we, as a society, help them?
Parents, the ball is in your field on a relatively frequent basis. You must maintain a healthy relationship with her child. You are their touchstone… their constant. Not their constant harasser; they get enough of that at school. If your child is troubled they need to know that they can come to you. This is not to save that there will be no consequences for certain actions; but pay attention to what’s important. Don’t sweat the small stuff mom and dad. And remember… Almost all of it is small stuff. Physical expression of affection may be brushed off by a child that thinks there too old to be hugged and by dad or kissed by mom; but knowing that it is there is what is important to their stability and peace of mind.
Enjoy things as a family. Even if they protest, just as a way of the brushing off of your hugs, some tiny part of their heart and overloaded mind will enjoy it. And if enjoying things as a family can be done out of doors, even better! Children don’t get enough time outside. Between computers, video games, texting, attending school and studying their time outside is limited. If your child seems lonely a pet might be the answer to the stress and self doubt that loneliness can bring.
