School, Stress and Children

It is estimated that six to ten million children each year suffer from school related stress. Children who have learning issues spend countless hours trying to improve upon their motor, language and academic skills. While these interventions no doubt help the children, theses efforts can also create a heightened sense of stress in the children. The resulting stress creates challenges to daily living and learning. 

The needs of a learning disabled child can further add to the overall anxiety. Children are subjected to the insensitivity of others and struggle with their self awareness. There is often a gap between what is being taught in school and their ability to perform as expected. Many children exert an enormous amount of energy during the day to keep themselves afloat and function and not give in to the overwhelming frustration that is ever present throughout the day. The discomfort stress causes can manifest in physical symptoms (squirming, rapid heartbeat, upset stomach) or in a desire to avoid situations (anxiety, rushing through tests, careless errors, behaviors to deflect fear).  Stress though, is unavoidable to a certain extent. What can help certain children is a holistic approach to address it. 

1. Provide structure and consistency to your day. Ease your child into transitions and as best you can avoid sudden changes to routines. Try to follow the same schedule every day so that the children can anticipate what is expected of them. 
2. Use clear language when explaining things and be aware of things that might trigger your child to become overstimulated. Have your home, or at least your child’s space, as neat and orderly as possible. Eliminate as many distractions as possible. 
3. Teach relaxation strategies (yoga/meditation) and exercise to have children gain a better sense of body awareness and begin to learn how to calm/soothe themselves.
4. Encourage positive thinking and healthy habits. Most children need 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night, but many children get far less. Eating healthy foods such as more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods has a positive effect on children and their moods. Provide a balanced nutrient rich diet low in simple carbohydrates (white sugar/flour) high in complex carbohydrates (whole grains) and protein. Avoid caffeine and sugar ( soda, candy, energy drinks) as they can further stress the body. Eating breakfast and then eating throughout the day helps keep blood sugar levels stable thereby enhancing mood. Include foods that have tryptophan such as bananas, nuts, oats and poultry to help the brain produce neurotransmitters that enhance mood and relaxation. Have children drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.