10 Strategies to help Children Deal with Stress

We are saying goodbye to March and hello to April! As we move into the new month, we hope you have been able to benefit from our weekly blogs and incorporated some tips, techniques, and fun activities, games, and art into your home.

For March, we focused on the topics of a Growth Mindset versus a Fixed Mindset as well as Stress and Worry. We learned that having a Growth Mindset helps you stay humble, you’re able to learn from your mistakes and you’re more positive. Some of the positive/growth affirmations you can use with your children and family are “I haven’t figured this out YET”, “I can do hard things”, and “I am brave enough to try”.

Some fun Growth Mindset activities you can do at home is adding inspirational quotes and phrases into your home, car and anywhere you will see them daily for helpful reminders. If you haven’t checked out “Mindful Moments for Kids” on Apple music, be sure to do so as well as adding Growth mindset children’s books to your library at home.

We also encourage talking to your children and family when you are feeling stressed or worried and adding the “Worry Jar” to help take your worries away. To help with expressing their feelings and emotions, we encourage your little one to draw a picture and add to the worry jar as well.

Lastly, here are some strategies to help children deal with stress.

1. Help children tune into their bodies and look for clues. When you’re able to listen to your body, you can utilize skills to manage stress.
2. We strongly encourage having a daily journal. Children can draw or write out when they are feeling stressed (or any emotion or feeling). This helps to keep track and notice patterns.
3. Keep a routine! Create a calm morning routine that can help eliminate stressful mornings. (This is also beneficial at night.)
4. Help children stay organized. When their area/surroundings are organized, they are able to accomplish more and help reduce some stress.
5. Help children with conflict resolution and communication skills by role-playing positive conflict resolution as well as different types of communication when it comes to having hard conversations with friends, family or when feeling stressed.
6. Implementing Yoga into your daily routine helps reduce stress!
7. Along with Yoga, be sure to add mindfulness and breathing exercise into your daily routine as well. Mindfulness helps to focus on the here and now instead of the past or future.
8. Move your body helps reduce stress as well! Go for a nature walk, ride bikes or scooters, or even set up a scavenger hunt!
9. Music is also a great way to reduce stress! Find some stress-relieving music to help feel calm and play it at bed/nap time, on your way to school or work, when making dinner, etc.
10. Limit screen time, especially at night when sleep is imperative for stress management.

Be sure to come back next week as we will be focusing on the topics of Purpose, Habits/Rituals, and Strengths in April!