For parents, October means parent-teacher conferences — a chance to check in with teachers and see how their children are doing in school. Mid-October is also the best chance to check if children are stressing about school and find a solution. The semester isn’t too far gone, and the year has barely started.
Stress is becoming a part of children’s lives earlier every year. With schools expecting good test scores and other quantifiable results, even elementary students face busy schedules and high expectations. Children under stress can show many of the same symptoms as their older counterparts. Phobias of school, trouble sleeping and reverting to more immature behaviors are typical.
There are solutions, though. If a parent is willing to take the time to work with their child to develop a few time management skills and learn to prioritize their work, some of the stress can be alleviated. That’s not enough though. It is important for parents to step up and discuss the matter with teachers, and if problems continue, school counselors.
It is not unreasonable to set high expectations for children, but if a child simply doesn’t have the skills to reach those goals, he or she may become discouraged and stressed, and may even stop trying.
This issue has been in the news more and more. Suggested cures range from introducing yoga into the classroom to child psychiatry. But the real cure is teaching children to handle stress from the start.
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