Stress Management for Children: Advice I Learned From My Parents

Parenting is tough work. And sometimes stress management for children becomes a much needed remedy for situations spiraling out of control. Tantrums often result from stressful situations and without a doubt, there are times when it's difficult to know who is in charge. In this day and age, children often have the upper hand on parents as the dutiful parents taxi the kids to school activities, sports practices and music lessons. In many families, the schedules center around the kids. So it is no wonder that kids can believe that they are the center of their own universe. And when something goes awry from what a child may have expected, there is an emotional outbreak. Stress management for children? For your own parenting sanity, here are three credos I learned from my parents and have since shared with my children.

Take Care of Your Stuff People are always giving stuff to children-toys, clothes, books, trinkets. By taking care of the items and protecting them from breakage, things will last longer. Stress management for children starts with being careful with one's possessions. They will last and by not breaking, there will be less frustration from them not working properly. Being able to manage one's possessions and keep things in order-including one's room-is an important step to staying organized, feeling less cluttered, being able to find things more easily and enjoying the working function of the items. Kids will look and feel better.

Realize that Things Don't Always Go Your Way In a perfect world, everything will go along as planned. There will be no bumps along the way. But when addressing stress management for children, you realize that the tantrum often follows the activity that didn't turn out as expected or the friend who didn't behave as expected. Teaching children to plan for an upcoming event is important, but it is just as important to make certain the kids learn to be ready for the unexpected turns and twists in life that happen. Learning how to adjust one's expectations and to adapt to changing situations can go a long way in helping your children enjoy a calmer and more enjoyable childhood.

Play Nice Things are much better when you play well with others. The third aspect of stress management for children includes teaching children to play well with others. Learning to take turns on the playground and share toys with others are important concepts for children. It is part of playing nice. Children can enjoy the moments without making judgments of others. Learning to respect others, even if they offer different viewpoints or have different skill sets is best learned at a young age. Playing nice is a skill that although learned young, is practiced well into adulthood, in the workplace, in boardrooms and with volunteer organizations.

Stress management strategies for children is really helpful in allowing them to develop healthy life skills. Parents can find their own sense of calm simply by offering this advice to their kids. I know that this advice has been helpful for me in raising my children.

Dr. Ann Gatty is a certified teacher, author, organizational strategist and personal consultant. She currently coaches online and face-to-face. From her teaching and organizational consulting experiences, she knows women, are seeking answers for creating a life balance and healthy stress-free lifestyle. Dr. Gatty hosts a website, http://www.stress-management-4-women.com/. Visit for advice on stress management for women in life transitions. Learn how to become stress-free, productive and happy! Download her FREE e-book, "Taking Control of the Daily Chaos," http://www.stress-management-4-women.com/life-transitions.html.