Stress At School

Children and Studying-Related Stress

When a child starts growing up and moves into their pre-teen and early teenage years, it can be difficult for them to cope effectively with all of the changes they have to go through. Puberty, hormonal changes, social pressures and drama, and sometimes even family problems are just some of the things that regularly cause kids to become anxious and stressed out. Another cause of stress in older children is academics - specifically studying and taking tests at school.

You may not even know that your child is having stress due to their school work, unless they have come right out and told you so. You are more likely to hear things from your child like that they do not like school anymore, or are bored in school, or that they do not understand a subject. They may start making excuses and attempt to get out of going to school altogether, saying that they are sick when they really are not. They might even become defiant and refuse to do homework and study, or start skipping school.

For the most part, these indicators point to a cry for help, moreso than being a show that your child needs discipline. Since kids in this age group do not tend to have a firm grasp on effectively communicating what is really going on, it becomes your job to decipher the code and help figure out what the problem is so that it can be dealt with. You need to be ready to accept the fact that it may not only be the school that has high standards for your child. If you have been pushing your child too hard and putting too much pressure on them to be perfect, it probably has a direct connection to the stress your child is dealing with when it comes to school.

Since you are not going to be able to lighten the workload that is given to your child at school, you need to help your child deal with homework in an effective way. Being prepared and taking it on one thing at a time is the best way to deal with school work. If your child has homework for five or six different subjects each week, this just means that your child needs to tackle one assignment each day. Do not let them wait until the last minute to get it done, otherwise they will just get overwhelmed and it will create more anxiety for them.

No one is perfect, and expecting your child to produce straight A's is not only unrealistic, but is going to go a long way toward destroying the self-esteem of your child. Encourage them to do the best they can, and assist them in sticking to a structured study schedule that will allow them plenty of time to learn, but that will also give them time to spend with family and friends.

Point out your child's strengths. Often. If your child feels that they are capable of learning, they will not be as intimidated by a subject, even if it is not one of their favorites. Make a point of quizzing them on the things they have been studying so that you can both be confident that they understand the material. If they feel well-prepared for that test, they will do much better.