Building ConfidentKids... By Kim Norton
T
antrums, nail biting, stomach aches, and cries of “I don’t wanna go” can all be signs of stress. In our younger kids where expressive language has not yet fully developed, these physical, mental and emotional signs can be a common way for our toddlers and younger kids to tell us that they are just not coping. In our primary school kids, similar responses can be seen in those that have not yet learnt how to recognise and manage their own stress and anxiety. As some stress is a necessary part of everyday life, we don’t want to save our kids from every stressful situation that will come their way (micro managing their lives just does not work and actually creates more stress for all involved). Instead, we want to empower our kids with the ability to recognise their own stress symptoms, triggers and behaviours and equip them with the tools necessary to manage them. Recognising how our kids respond to stress is a great place to start. A thought, a place, an event or a person (whether real or imagined) can all evoke a “fight or flight” stress response in our kids that can vary in intensity and frequency.
60
Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2019