Doesn’t it seem like kids these days are a lot more stressed and anxious than they were when we were young? Studies show that 10-20% of children are dealing with some sort of anxiety symptoms . Here are some ways to help kids handle stress.

1. Don’t overschedule them

One of the biggest stressors in a child’s life is a routine on overdrive without any downtime for old fashioned play. I know it’s tempting to schedule your child for lessons and tutors. You want the best for them, right? But these scheduled activities often just feel like work to a child.

Kids need open time to play in whatever manner their brains need at the time. Yes, sometimes that means wearing pots on their head and playing aliens and spacemen is more important for their development than French lessons or soccer practice.

2. Prioritize sleep

I know you’ve got a big kid now who may be able to go the whole day without a nap, but that doesn’t mean he or she can neglect sleep. If that means an earlier bed time, so be it. Sleep is an important way to rejuvenate the mind and body. It boosts their mood and their performance in school or other activities.

3. Organize your family

Stress eats at us in little ways that add up to something big, like when an instrument is left at home by mistake, a parent-teacher conference is forgotten about, or everyone is scrambling to get out of the house in the morning. Come up with a system to eliminate life’s little inconveniences so everyone can relax.

4. Don’t harp on mistakes

Mistakes happen and life moves on. If we treat them like the end of the world, our kids will internalize them and carry those failures with them everywhere. Make it clear that you don’t care about little mistakes as long as everyone takes positive steps to avoid them in the future.

5. Practice relaxation techniques

If you have a stressed child, teach them how to clear their mind and relax when they begin to feel especially anxious. There’s not much to this: All you have to do is take long, deep breaths and visualize pleasant things. Your brain will relay the message to the body.

6. Model relaxed behavior

If you find yourself often stressed out, your kids will catch it like a cold. They’ll see mom and dad behaving anxious and figure that’s the way life is supposed to be. The best way to teach a child anything is to model it yourself. It’s essential that you teach your kids to care for themselves by caring for yourself.

Written by Alicia Overby - Founder & President of Baby Elephant Ears

Alicia is wife, mother, and creator of Baby Elephant Ears. Baby Elephant Ears was created out of parental concern, not financial desire. In 2005, when their second child was an infant, he cried all the time and just couldn't seem to get comfortable.

After seeking advice and suggestion from the medical community and alternative medicine, they eventually ended up in the chiropractors office where their baby was successfully treated for asubluxation, discomfort most likely the result of the strain during labor, which was now being exacerbated by the normal lack of infant neck strength. Only proper neck, head, and back alignment would offer him relief. When they couldn't find a product to give their baby the necessary support, Alicia took matters into her own hands and crafted her own infant support pillow. The first Baby Elephant Ears was born!

For more information, visit www.babyelephantears.com.

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