Today's Thursday • 8 mins read
Despite what adults think, children have plenty of stressors. They have school stressors, peer pressures, and simply the challenges of growing up and hormonal changes.
Childhood stress can cause long-term mental health issues and abnormal behaviors. As parents, it is a given to recognize their stress and help them deal with it emotionally and mentally.
So how can you help your child manage stress, foster resilience, and handle social pressures?
How To Help Your Child Cope With Stress?
1. Build A Safe Home Environment
Make sure your home is a safe and non-threatening space. Remember, sometimes children need a safe space more than solutions.
Prioritize safety in your home. Let them feel safe at home from situations, other people, and yourself. A secure sense of safety helps them process and manage their stress and well-being more effectively.
Creating a supportive environment at home is perhaps the most essential part of helping children cope with stress.
You can significantly reduce stress levels in children by giving them a stable and nurturing environment that allows them to feel secure, calm, and relaxed.
2. Allow Open Communication
Foster an environment where children feel comfortable sharing their feelings and thoughts.
Allow your children to feel free to discuss their conflicts and curious questions, however inappropriate.
Encourage them to openly express what’s on their mind, whether it’s their fears, anxieties, or even day-to-day experiences.
Actively listen to them without judgment, showing empathy and understanding. This practice helps in alleviating their stress and strengthens your bond with them, making them feel valued and heard.
3. Teach Stress Relief Techniques
Guide your child in learning relaxation methods like deep breathing, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation, which are quite effective in managing stress.
- Deep Breathing: Teach children to inhale slowly through the nose for 4 counts, hold 1–2 counts, then exhale through the mouth for 6–8 counts. Repeat 4–6 times. This calms the nervous system, reduces anxiety, and shifts attention from stressors to the breath. It’s portable and effective for quick regulation when they feel overwhelmed.
- Guided Imagery: Lead a child through a 3–5 minute visualization of a safe, peaceful place (real or imagined). Prompt senses: “What do you see, hear, smell, feel?” Encourage slow breathing as they picture details. This creates a mental refuge, interrupts anxious thought loops, and strengthens their capacity to self-soothe.
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Guide children to tense each muscle group (feet → legs → stomach → arms → shoulders → face) for 5–7 seconds, then relax for 10–15 seconds, moving slowly through the body. Focus on noticing the contrast between tension and release. This reduces physical stress, improves body awareness, and teaches a concrete method to lower physiological arousal.
- Mindfulness meditation: Teach children short (3–10 minute) exercises to focus on the present: how to bring attention to breath, bodily sensations, or sounds, and notice thoughts and feelings without judgment. Practice daily to build awareness, emotional regulation, and a calmer response to stress instead of impulsive reactions. Use brief, age‑appropriate prompts (e.g., “Name three sounds” or “Notice your breath for five slow breaths”), and adapt practice length to the child’s age. Mindfulness is particularly relevant for youth facing chronic stress and unique stressors (Perry-Parrish & Copeland-Linder, 2016).
4. Promote Healthy Habits
A healthy body supports a healthy mind, making it easier for children to cope with stress and maintain a positive outlook on life.
But promoting this needs your active involvement. You have to embrace healthy lifestyle choices such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep to encourage your child to do the same.
Some other habits fundamental to managing stress in your child include:
- Creative Outlets: Encourage artistic activities like drawing, painting, or music.
- Quality Family Time: Spend regular, stress-free time together as a family.
- Nature Exposure: Regular walks or playtime outdoors.
- Structured Routines: Maintain a consistent daily schedule to provide stability.
- Social Interaction: Encourage healthy social engagement with peers.
5. Teach Them How To Use Positive Stress
Teaching children to harness positive stress is key to their development. Teach them to use positive stress to achieve goals, adapt to changes, and face challenges.
It involves guiding them to view moderate stress as a motivator rather than a hindrance. This approach helps children to channel stress into achieving goals, adapting to new situations, and overcoming challenges.
For instance, the stress of an upcoming test can encourage diligent studying, and the nerves before a sports match can heighten focus and performance.
Learning to use stress constructively can help children maintain good grades and sports involvement, as well as build resilience. It also equips them with vital coping skills for future obstacles.
6. Help Them Practice Daily Gratitude
Gratitude Practice is a beneficial exercise for all of us, and building this into a habit in childhood can go a long way in developing stress-coping skills.
Encourage your children to reflect on and write down things they’re thankful for, whether it’s people in their lives, experiences, or simple joys.
Gratitude practice (like the scientifically proven Three Good Things) helps shift their focus from what they lack to what they possess, cultivating a sense of appreciation.
Moreover, regularly acknowledging and expressing gratitude can positively influence their mindset, reducing tendencies to take things for granted.
7. Instill A Habit of Journaling
Journaling is a great way for children to express themselves.
Writing practice can also be therapeutic, helping the writer linearly process their emotions and solve problems, significantly enhancing their overall well-being.
Encourage your child to maintain a journal where they can freely write about their daily experiences, thoughts, and feelings.
A personal journal also offers them a private space to record and process their emotions and thoughts, and to work through any challenges or problems they might be facing.
Journaling is a valuable tool for self-reflection and personal growth, helping them understand their experiences and emotions better.
8. Seek Professional Help
Seek professional help if you feel your child’s stress levels are too high or if they are struggling to cope.
Some online resources that you may find helpful:
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: https://www.nctsn.org/
- The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: https://www.aacap.org/
- The Jed Foundation: https://www.jedfoundation.org/
Main Causes of Childhood Stress
Some of the most common causes of childhood stress are:
Family-related causes of childhood stress:
- Family conflicts: Arguments, tension, or violence between parents or caregivers can be very stressful for children.
- Divorce or separation: This can be a major life change that disrupts routines and creates uncertainty.
- Loss/death of a loved one: The death of a parent, sibling, or another close relative can be a devastating experience for a child.
- Family illness or mental health issues: Seeing a parent or sibling struggle with illness or mental health issues can be a source of worry and anxiety.
- Financial problems: Difficulty making ends meet can create stress and instability for the whole family.
School-related causes of childhood stress:
- Academic pressure: Children may feel stressed about getting good grades, meeting expectations, or keeping up with peers.
- Bullying or peer pressure: Being bullied or feeling pressure to conform to peer groups can be very stressful and isolating.
- Changes in school environment: Starting a new school, changing grades, or dealing with difficult teachers can be challenging for some children.
- Fear of failure or disappointment: Children may worry about letting their parents or teachers down, which can lead to stress and anxiety.
Other factors causing stress in children
- Moving: Changing homes can be disruptive and unsettling for children, even if it’s a positive move.
- Chronic illness or disability: Living with a chronic illness or disability can be a source of stress and uncertainty for children and their families.
- Exposure to violence or trauma: Witnessing or experiencing violence or trauma can have a lasting impact on a child’s mental health and well-being.
- Cyberbullying or online harassment: The internet can be a breeding ground for bullying and harassment, which can be very stressful for children.
- World events: Current events like natural disasters, political unrest, or terrorism can be a source of worry and anxiety for children, especially if they feel unsafe or uncertain about the future.
Final Words
Remember, childhood stress can be caused by their trying to live up to parental expectations.
Each child may react differently to their stressors, and their ability to cope can vary based on age, personality, and support systems.
We, as parents, should be accessible to them so that they can talk to us freely. Two-way talks can help identify and solve their stress.
Stay open to reaching out to a counselor to help children cope with stress, and safeguard their future.
√ Also Read: 10 Unsettling Signs of Repressed Childhood Trauma In Adults
√ Please spread the word if you found this helpful.