As your children get older and start to feel more emotions about current events, school, and life in general you may notice a change in their demeanor. One thing to remember is that children, like adults, can feel stress and anxiety from situations.
Today’s current events alone are enough to stress the average child out. If you have the news or social media on in a room where children overhear or watch said platforms, you might find that your children start showing signs of stress. Another thing that’s adding stress to everyday life is remote learning.
We decided that we wanted to help parents everywhere learn more about the warning signs that their child is under stress. Since stress is shown differently from person to person and child to child, we’re featuring some of the telltale signs that most children exhibit when they’re starting to stress out or have already gone into full stressed-out mode.
Trouble Concentrating
This is one of the major signs that a child is starting to stress out. They’re no longer able to concentrate on tasks they typically do well with. They may lose interest in everyday activities that they used to enjoy. You may have a hard time getting them to complete schoolwork or chores as they simply cannot focus on any activities or tasks.
Increased Aggression
Think about an adult you know who starts to experience high levels of stress. They tend to be more aggressive and tense. This is the same habit of stressed-out children. They may argue with you or their siblings frequently, throw tantrums more often, or just seem extremely defiant when asked to complete tasks or projects that they typically do without much complaint.
Bedwetting
This is a huge telltale sign that your younger child is stressed out or has experienced something traumatic. The first step with this stress response is to make sure it’s not being caused by a health condition, so be sure to schedule a visit with your child’s doctor. Once the doctor has ruled out any health reasons for the bedwetting, you’ll be able to know this is stress-related.
Eating or Sleeping Problems
Another sign that your child is under stress is that they stop eating or start overeating. They may stop sleeping well and in turn, show aggression from stress-induced insomnia. Sleeping problems or eating problems can cause other health issues, so if your child is experiencing this sign of stress, now is the time to talk to your children about what’s causing their unrest.
These are just some of the warning signs that your child is under stress. Typically any emotion, activity, or decrease in your children’s engagement in everyday life is a sign that something deeper is going on. Once you’ve taken the time to cross off any health-related issues, it’s time to have a chat with your kids to learn what’s causing their stress. You can ask questions, and provide helpful tips to get your kids to reduce stress and start living a healthier life soon.