They may not have jobs, a family to take care of or massive debt, but children get stressed out too. Everything from family changes to moving to bullying to bad grades can cause major stress. And unlike their parents, children haven’t yet figured out the best way(s) to deal with stress. But you can help them out.
The first step is to notice that they’re stressed. Children who are stressed will often be moody. They may complain about having a stomach ache or headache. They may begin bedwetting, even if they’ve been dry for years. They may display a nervous habit such as biting their nails. You know your child better than anyone. If something’s wrong, talk to them and try to figure out what’s up.
If you can help them work through the problem—great! If not, just being there and listening will make a huge difference. And after that, you can—
Help Them Relax with Some Stress-Busting Activities!
Bubbles – Kids like bubbles. They float. They’re pretty. You can pop them. What’s not to like? Whether your kids are blowing bubbles themselves or running around trying to pop all the bubbles you blow at them, they’ll have a laugh.
Drawing – It can be difficult for children to verbally express how they’re feeling. Drawing allows them to express emotion through imagery. Not only that, it’s a physical activity that can help them release negative emotions such as stress or anger in a healthy way.
Indoor “Snowball” Fight – If you’re old fashioned and still get the newspaper, try wadding up the sheets and throwing them at each other for an indoor snowball fight. If not, I’m sure you still get all those annoying ads in the mail. Just save some and soon your family can be snowball battling too.
Target Practice – Target practice makes for a fun engrossing activity at any age. You can get a Velcro dartboard, a set of plastic bowling balls and pins, or even a regular dart board if your kids are old enough and you don’t mind tiny puncture marks covering your walls.
Puzzle Book – Unfortunately, playing with your child isn’t always an option. And for those times when you, as an adult, have to do other things it’s good to have a fun activity a child can do on their own. One of the many available is an age appropriate puzzle book. These will absorb a child’s attention, taking their mind off what’s stressing them, and can even help their problem-solving abilities.
Play Ball – Perhaps the best stress-busting activity is exercise. But kids aren’t going to want to do pushups and lift weights for an hour. The best exercise for many children is sports. You can simply go outside and play catch (who knows, you may end up busting some of your own stress), or see if they want to join a local team. Sports can be a great way to make friends, and exercise is a great way to bust stress.
Austin Sheeley is a passionate blogger who writes about pediatric health issues such as bedwetting and its many causes including stress. Please visit Austin’s website www.bedwettingstore.com.
