One of the main reasons
for stress in children is the demands made
on their time and potential. Apart from
academics, most parents today push their
children into a plethora of extracurricular
activities. Most kids nowadays have crammed
schedules with almost every minute accounted
for, and barely any time for relaxation
or play.
Family plays the most
important role in a child’s life.
Children are especially sensitive to even
the most minor changes in the behaviour
of family members towards each other. If
parents argue or adolescent siblings are
in a bad mood, a child will perceive it
almost immediately. Sibling rivalry, if
it gets out of hand, will play on a child’s
mind almost all the time in the same way
that adults obsessively think of their worries.
Constant criticism of a child’s shortcomings
can lead to resentment and fear. If there
is a breakdown or lack of communication
between parent and child, the latter tends
to feel unloved, unwanted and unimportant.
An unstable home environment shatters a
child’s sense of security as well
as his self-confidence in the long run.
Any kind trauma, like
the death of a loved one, a natural disaster,
sexual or emotional abuse, violence, alcoholism
or drug use by a member of the household,
can have a detrimental effect on any human
being’s state of mind. Children are
especially susceptible. A child’s
inability to cope with the extreme emotions
born of tragedy can lead to various stress-related
psycho-social disorders.
One of the unusual sources
of stress in children is other children.
Bullying and insensitive remarks from school
or play mates can cause low self-esteem.
Peer pressure can result in a state of conflict
and make a child feel embarrassed about
his clothes and other possessions, his intellect,
or the way he looks.
Pressure to excel leads
to tremendous stress
in children. The frustration over not
being able to meet expectations can lead
a child to believe that he is stupid or
worthless. This leads to stress, because
of which the child may be unable to function
normally, thus adding to the pressure and
leading to higher levels of tension.
Most adult behavioural
and psychological problems can be traced
back to an unhappy childhood. Ensuring that
your child is happy and stress-free is ensuring
his mental well-being for life.
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