Behavior Makeover: Anxiety

Kids and stress

I'm really worried about my daughter. She's only ten but already seems so stressed. Right before a test, she's an absolute basket case: she can't sleep, is anxious, and cries. I'm afraid to talk to her before her soccer games – she's so moody. I can't imagine how she's ever going to handle middle school at the rate she's going.

– Raoul, a dad from Kansas City, Missouri

Rapid breathing.
Fear of leaving home.
Pounding heart.
Sleeplessness.

Think stress is just for adults? Think again. Studies show that today's kids are feeling a lot more pressure than we think they are. Stress symptoms are showing up in kids as young as three years of age. Overscheduled days, competition, school, treadmill-paced lives, home problems, scary nightly news, and stressed-out parents are just a few contributors. One thing is certain: stress is part of life, and some kids actually do seem to thrive on it. The critical parenting question is this: Does the stress stimulate my child or paralyze her?

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