Help Your Student Deal with School Stress




In school your child may hear a lot about how the school environment is so very different from the “real world”. It’s definitely not the real world but that doesn’t mean the stress they feel about school isn’t real. In fact it’s very real and when they experience stress, it’s the same dangerous cortisol that runs through their little bodies as what runs through yours.

School stress for grade school and middle school students can take many forms. It can be the many hours of homework to standardized testing and the social stressors of making friends and fitting in.

You can’t protect your child from school stress, so it’s important to teach him/her how to best cope with this. Exposing your child to different strategies of managing stress will help them to build resilience that will benefit them for a lifetime.

Offer healthy breakfasts and snacks

Eating healthy foods is a great way to help your student to proactively manage school stress. Healthy, protein-packed smoothies can be a fun and healthy way to start the day or refresh and recharge after school. Try a Berry Blast smoothie or a yummy chocolate almond smoothie -- or another from this collection of School Stress Busting Smoothies for Kidsvideos.

Ensure a consistent sleep schedule

Sleep is critically important for everyone -- and especially grade school and middle school students. Not only can a lack of sleep impact cognitive functioning and their school work, it can also negatively impact mood.

Unfortunately, stress is a top cause of insomnia and it takes its toll on even young children. A regular bedtime (no computers, tablets or smartphones) and relaxation routine can help your student to relax into a good night’s sleep. Why not suggest you both do some gentle yoga or a guided meditation together? It can be helpful to quiet both of your busy minds. Try one of the videos in this collection: School Stress Busters for Kids: Sleep

Have your student take an active study break

Long days sitting at desks at school followed by hours of homework isn’t the best way to keep their synapses firing. When the body slows down, so does blood flow to the brain.

You can both try any one of the family-friendly workouts in the School Stress Busters: Active Study Break workout videos collection. These workouts don’t need equipment so it’s good for anytime and any weather.

Your grade and middle school student is already feeling school stress. Helping them learn different ways to best cope with their stress now, you are teaching them a skill that will help them for a lifetime.

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