There is no age limit when it comes to individuals experiencing stress. In fact, you’d be surprised at how many younger people feel increasingly anxious about school. From worrying about getting into the school they want to an overload of assignments and fast approaching exams, it’s no wonder students everywhere are reporting feelings of unprecedented stress.
While a healthy amount of stress can motivate children to work harder and study more diligently, too much of it can be seriously detrimental to them. They lose the ability to focus and find it more challenging to remember critical information. The pressure can even negatively impact their mental and physical health.
When their excessive stress causes them to achieve poor grades, it puts even more pressure on them to do better, making this a vicious cycle. Fortunately, as parents, you may be able to help them break free of it by helping them manage their stress healthily and effectively. Read on for some fool-proof tips on how to do so.
1. Watch for signs
Stress is natural in children. However, there will be visible signs you can spot
when they’re feeling overwhelmed by it all, especially if this is around exam season. Watch out for the following symptoms of stress next time you think your child is behaving strangely:
Migraines
Stomach aches
Procrastination
Not waiting to go to school
Knowing that there is a problem is half the battle, after all.
2. Help your child manage their tasks
Stress is often caused by simply having too much to do. Children these days are expected to be able to do it all – from school to after-school activities to homework and other responsibilities. While these are vital tasks, giving your child some semblance of order can go a long way in helping them ease their anxieties. Helping them prioritise tasks in order of importance can be especially beneficial. If needed, reconsider whether certain activities are necessary at all. Providing them with time management advice is also crucial to helping them achieve a more organised schedule.
3. Allow time for rest and relaxation
Kids, like working adults, need some downtime to do things they enjoy. They may have hobbies that can help them take their mind off things or passions and skills they want to hone. Either way, striking a balance between work and play is paramount to a healthy mental state. Allowing them unstructured time for themselves will only be advantageous in the long run.
4. Create goals they can achieve
If you create unrealistic expectations for your child, it may contribute to the pressure they face and the stress they take upon themselves. Ultimately, if they don’t match these expectations, it will impede their progress and may lead to a negative self-image. To prevent this, give them more feasible goals. This not only minimises the stress they undergo; it also, ultimately, helps them do better academically. Remember that the goal should always be improving over everything else.
5. Encourage them to socialise
Lastly, you will want to ensure that your child opens up to social connections so they won’t be burned out by spending too much time alone. It’s as easy spending time together as a family during dinner or inviting their friends over for a playdate. It also helps when you spend time with them one-on-one to gain an insight into how they are coping with school or any other issues they might have.
Conclusion
Helping your kids combat excessive stress is necessary to ensure that they are happy, healthy, and excelling at everything they set their minds to. Just follow these simple steps and see the difference.
To further ease their math-related anxieties, you can consider enrolling your children in Colourtrain Academy. We are a mathematics tuition centre in Singapore with tutors who will always put your child first to help them reach their highest potential. Contact us today to learn more!
Comments