No matter how you look at it, school can be a stressful place. First, there’s a ton of stimuli. It’s enough to overwhelm anyone, and introverted, sensitive kids are likely to feel totally drained at the end of the day. Add coursework, different learning styles, interpersonal relationships with peers, and all those extracurricular activities, it’s a lot.
Most kids aren’t born with the ability to recognize and manage stress. This makes it an extra important thing for you to help them learn; the sooner, the better.
If your child is showing signs of stress as the newness of going back to school wears off, here are some tips that can help.
Ask questions
The best way to understand what’s bothering your kiddo is to ask open-ended questions. Allow them to be specific about what’s stressing them out.
The goal here isn’t necessarily to tell them what to do or attempt to fix them. The goal is for them to learn how to identify the source of the feeling, rather than allow it to be this undefined thing that casts a shadow over everything.
Validate how they feel
It is crucial that you validate how your child is feeling. Their feelings are real, and dismissing, shaming, or telling them their feelings are wrong will result in them not trusting themselves and losing confidence in their ability to discern how they feel.
Ask them what they need
Maybe it’s more time to finish a project, or perhaps it’s additional support in the area where they are struggling. Maybe they’re not sure what they need or just have a few ideas about what could help.
If the issue is something that requires you to speak with a teacher, it’s important you do so. Your child should feel supported and safe at school, and if there is anything concerning going on, it’s crucial you address it.
Keep them engaged
It may be tempting to allow your child to skip school. However, this teaches them to avoid challenges when life gets tough, and it can lead to anxiety growing over time.
Let them know that skipping school is not an option and focus on what can be done to lessen stress and anxiety instead.
Take something off their plate
If your child is involved in a million extracurricular activities and does not have sufficient downtime or time to rest, ask them if there is something they can let go of.
If some of the activities they’re involved in are things you believe are good for them, understand that what they need most is to be supported in their growth as a human being. This includes getting sufficient rest and, depending on their age, playtime outdoors. A child who believes that their worth is determined through them excelling at a wide range of things is someone who often requires years of therapy as an adult.
To the degree that it is appropriate, allow your child to be a kid.
Teach calming techniques and the importance of sleep
There are tons of breathing techniques people can do to help regulate themselves in times of stress. You can learn many of these techniques for free by searching for them on YouTube. Find some that are age-appropriate that your child can do to help them not get tangled up in stress.
Additionally, focus on sleep. Sleep is one of the best antidotes to stress. If your child is not getting sufficient sleep, everything else suffers.
Watch for physical symptoms
In young kids especially, stress and anxiety often manifest as a physical symptom like a stomachache. Be mindful of this, and if you’re at all unsure of the origins of the feeling, have your child checked out by their pediatrician.
Consider therapy
If the stress is really taking a toll, therapy can help. Unchecked stress can lead to anxiety and depression, and the sooner your child learns to cope, the better.
At the Relationship Therapy Center, we help people of all ages learn how to feel their best. This involves getting to the root of the issue and learning what can be done to avoid it recurring in the future.
By learning to be introspective and manage emotions at a young age, you’re setting your child up for a successful future. They’ll have the skills they need to handle stress already built in. They may also have more insight into who they are as a result of working with a therapist.
If your child is struggling, please reach out. We’re happy to share more about who we are and how we can help.
Begin Play Therapy or Child Counseling in Roseville, Davis or Fair Oaks, CA Today!
If your child is struggling one of the best things you can do is be proactive in getting your child help from a trained play therapist. With help and support you child can overcome the things that are troubling them and move forward in their life with more confidence and peace. Our counseling practice offers specialized play therapy and child counseling services by certified play therapists at both of our locations. Your child, and your family, can get to a better place. Our child therapists are here to help.
To begin counseling in Fair Oaks, CA, Roseville, CA or online, follow these steps
- Contact the Relationship Therapy Center and schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to learn more about in-person or online child therapy.
- Make an appointment for your teen to meet with one of our compassionate child therapists.
Get the support your teen needs to navigate adolescent challenges with confidence!
Other Services Offered at The Relationship Therapy Center in California:
In addition to child therapy, Our Sacramento area counseling clinics located in Roseville and Fair Oaks, CA are pleased to offer a variety of mental health services. Our couples services include: Counseling after infidelity, sex therapy, co-parent counseling, family therapy, divorce counseling, intensive couples retreats, and premarital counseling. Individual therapy services include, therapy for children, teen therapy, depression treatment, and individual relationship counseling. Our therapists offer online counseling in California to treat a variety of mental health concerns. Please reach out to our Sacramento area therapy office to learn more about the many ways we can help you or your loved ones heal and grow.
Certified Gottman Therapist
Nancy Ryan, LMFT & Certified Gottman Therapist, is the Founder and Clinical Director of Relationship Therapy Center, with 15+ years of experience supporting clients in Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado Counties, and with offices in Roseville, CA, and Fair Oaks, CA. Our team also supports clients throughout California, Idaho, and Washington
She specializes in couples counseling, mentoring, and training her therapists on how to be excellent therapists. Nancy is also featured in a variety of media and provides couples therapy weekend workshops and retreats.
Relationship Therapy Center uses evidence-based approaches such as EMDR for trauma, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing to treat individuals. Family therapy focuses on family systems and Play Therapy for children. Evidence-based couples therapy includes using the Gottman Method, Gottman Method Affair recovery/infidelity counseling, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Attachment therapy, and David Schnarch's Crucible Therapy, including differentiation. The whole team is in weekly training on trauma-informed care, somatic techniques, sex therapy, and different topics each year.
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