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American stress survey finds kids more stressed than parents realize
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Kids stress more than you know about school and finances.
Parents don't realize the amount of stress their kids are under, according to American Psychological Association's (APA) latest annual study on stress in America. This year marks the first report for which youth were surveyed. Adults reported a lot of stress in their lives, but said the amount is not worsening. Kids ages 8 - 17, however, said they are worrying more.
Part of youth stress now involves anxiety about their families' worries over financial problems. Many parents stated that they are worrying about job and juggling day-to-day life and parenting tasks. Their children are picking up on this stress. And, kids today have their own worries. Forty-four percent of the youth surveyed said doing well in school is a main concern, yet only 34 percent of parents thought their child worried about academics. This led Alan Hilfer, director of psychology at New York Maimonides Medical Center to say that parents are not willing to acknowledge the struggling their kids are experiencing.
5 Ways for Teens to Handle Stress
Talk with your teen about these stress-relief tips from the Children's Hospital Denver website. Impress upon them that talking about feelings and working toward a solution to stress are positive moves. They may have to try some of the steps more than once.
- Talk and get support. Reach out to trusted adults and your friends.
- Name your feelings. Say how you feel then find a way to calm down or express the feeling. Breathe, listen to music, exercise, write in a journal, play with a pet, whatever helps you shift to a better mood.
- Don't take it out on yourself. People are around to help you. As for a hand or the pat on the back you need. Acknowledge that you're going through a tough situation.
- Look for a solution to your problem. When you're calm and have support in place, identify the problem. Even if you can't solve the whole problem, begin by solving a piece of it.
- Be positive. Most stress is temporary. It often goes away when you pinpoint the problem and start working on a solution.
These stress-relieving tips work for adults, too. Identifying a problem and figuring out a positive solution are two of the most important lessons your teen can learn on the road to adulthood.
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