Looking After Little Ones: 5 Potential Sources Of Stress For Your Children

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As parents, we like to think that our children have nothing to worry about. Sure, they get into the odd argument with their friends now and then, but those always resolve quickly, leaving your little one the happy-go-lucky and carefree kid you know and love. Unfortunately, something we all hate to admit is that our children deal with stress just like we do. Of course, their’s comes from different sources, but it’s hurtful and painful all the same. If you want to look after your little ones, then here are five potential sources of stress you need to watch out for.

Moving House And School

Kids thrive best when they have a regular and consistent routine, which is why they often don’t cope well when things start to change. One of the biggest changes a little one can face is moving house, especially when it means they also need to change schools. To make this process easier for your children, you should let them know what’s happening as soon as possible. You should also emphasize the positives of moving and help them say goodbye.

Fighting Among The Parents

No one likes the thought of their parents fighting, but, for children, this prospect can be absolutely terrifying. This is why you need to do what you can to keep your kids out of arguments and resolve them alone. If the tension continues after a fight, you should consider couples counseling retreats to deal with your issues. Never complain to your child about your partner, or try to make them pick sides, as they’ll be left feeling guilty either way, and this guilt can be incredibly harmful.

Losing A Loved One

Whether it be the death of a family member, close friend, or beloved pet, losing someone you love is confusing and heartbreaking to children. They can be left feeling abandoned and lonely, and might even convince themselves that they’re somehow to blame, causing a crushing sense of guilt. Explaining death to a child can be difficult for parents, especially when the loss affects them too, but it’s important that you use your words carefully, so as to not create further upset.

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Following A Tight Schedule

More often than not, your child’s schedule will be even more packed than yours, containing school homework, music lessons, sports games, and more. Of course, you don’t want your child to be bored throughout the day, but running from activity to activity can leave your kids feeling overwhelmed and incredibly anxious. To give them room to breathe, you should sit down with your children and cut a few things out of their day that they don’t want or need to do.

Peer Pressure And Bullying

From a very young age, your children are going to face peer pressure and bullying. The things your children have to face may not be as serious or scary and the cases you see in the news, but they can cause just as much upset. To help protect your kids, you should let them know that you’re always there to listen if they ever have anything they want to get off their chest. You can’t force them to talk, but, hopefully, with this prompt, they’ll feel comfortable when they need to.

Whether we like it or not, our children have to deal with stress just like we do. To avoid this stress becoming harmful, make sure you look out for the potential sources listed above.