Help Your Kids Dealing With Stress

Adults are used to dealing with a variety of different types of stress each day. While you learn how to adjust and handle your stress levels, teens aren't as lucky as you are. Teen's can easily experience high stress levels caused from schoolwork, friends, and other activities. As parents, it is our responsibility to help our teens learn how to understand stress and learn how to properly cope with it. Here are five ways to help your kids with stress:

Communication

One of the best ways to find out that your child is dealing with stress is to play the guessing game with them. Notice when something is bothering them and say it to them, for example you can say, "You seem upset, are you have a hard time with your math homework?" Try to be sympathetic to their emotions and show your teen that you honestly want to help them. If anything, you need to just sit back and let your teen vent. Sometimes they don't want your advice; they just need you to listen to them while they get all the stress off their chest.

Listen to your teen. This is the best way to find out if they are struggling with stress. Don't blame them for anything and try your best not to lecture them or cut them down by the way you talk to them. All you need to do is have patience, caring, and understanding. You need to be a nonjudgmental party for your teen so they know you love and care about them.

Exercise

There is no question that high levels of stress are bad for you. As teens, their bodies are still growing and they are not physically able to deal with high stress levels. Daily exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress. To help your teen, head out for a daily bike ride with them or go for a short run together. As they start to get bigger, you should start working on lifting weights as this will give their muscles a different challenge and it can help them focus on a different activity.

Stay Active

One of the best ways to help your teens with stress is to get them interested in other things. This is why you often see teens involved in different after school activities like sports, music lessons, etc. Try to get your children involved in some extra-curricular activities. This will give them something else to focus on so they won't worry about stress. However, you need to learn the balance of after school activities and too much stress. Sometimes parents push their kids too much so they get stressed out about all the extra curricular activities they are involved in.

Schedule

A great way to help your teens deal with stress is to get them on a schedule. You need to create schedules so they can keep their lives balanced. Be sure to sit down with them and help them with their homework, even if they are 17. This simple gesture will show your teens that you are always going to be there to help them out no matter how old they are. If their schedule is crammed, look for some things that you can cut out of it.

Carefree Time

Practice daily carefree time with your kids. Do some of the fun things they like to do. Try to add in some relaxing activities when you notice your teen seems a bit overwhelmed. Head to a movie or go to a spa for massages. Try to spend some relaxing time with your kids, this will help you grow closer together and it will reduce their stress level.