In the good old days, stress was seen as a condition, an inconvenience, the consequences of which were born by adults. Stress was directly associated with family pressure, financial pressure, and professional turmoil. However, with the passage of time, stress has formed an indispensable part of everyone’s life, children included.
Today, preteens in the age group of 9 to 12 years suffer from severe stress levels, too. Of course, the frequency and intensity of stress change, but the causes are more or less overlapping. So today, in this blog post, we at Delhi Public School Kota, one of the best schools in Kota, will shed light on the causes and signs of stress in preteens so that the same can be taken good care of before it gets extreme.
Causes of Stress in Preteens:
Just as every child is unique, so can their reasons for stress. There can be one or more reasons that may be responsible for stress accumulating in children’s lives. Let’s have a look at the most common ones below:
- Academic Pressure:
At times, children find it difficult to grasp whatever it is that is being taught in school. Some children are slow learners. On top of that, there is peer pressure to match up the performance with friends and especially the class topper. All this is most likely to culminate in bouts of stress.
- Body Image:
This is another very common cause of stress in preteens. There is this constant and unsaid pressure of looking a certain way or carrying yourself in a certain way. Children who are unable to meet these societal standards are likely to feel pressurized and eventually stressed.
- Tight Schedules:
The 21st century needs the kids to engage in multiple activities to stay in the game and on the top of the minds of everyone. For this, children are required to balance between academics on one hand and extra-curricular activities on the other. This is likely to lead to busy schedules that can get difficult to manage, ultimately accounting for stress.
- Complexity of Relationships:
This can also be a reason responsible for rising stress levels among children. Relationships in this regard refer not just to relationships with friends and peers, but also to the changing dynamics with one’s parents and immediate relatives. Relationships with one’s teachers can also be considered in this case.
Other common reasons besides the ones mentioned above include health conditions, social media influence, and changes in the family, to list a few.
Signs of Stress in Preteens:
We at Delhi Public School Kota strongly believe that one of the first prerequisites to deal with the stress your preteens may be suffering from is to recognize stress in the first place. Sharing below are the common signs that a stressed child is most likely to showcase:
- Cutting off:
This is a common sign of stress. Children are likely to feel overwhelmed by rising stress levels, which in turn is likely to make them isolate themselves and go into a shell. If you notice your child not mixing around with his/her friends or gelling with you as their usual self, this may be the right time to intervene.
- Change in eating habits:
When children feel stressed, they are likely to cut down on the amount of food they eat, which is where parents can enter the picture and redress the situation.
- Poor academic performance:
Dropping performance by an otherwise well-performing child can also be a sign of the child suffering from stress. This is where parents and teachers can join hands to reduce the pressure on the child by talking it out or persuading the child to take some time off.
Falling sick, going mum, or not being one’s original self are other valid signs of a child dealing with stress.
When one or more of these signs are spotted, you can understand it is time for you to get into investigative mode immediately and help the child surf through. Make sure that you give support and stay strong with your child during this period.
Summing Up:
All this while, if you have been living the cloud of assumptions that preteens can never suffer from symptoms of stress, you will have to think again. That is because unfortunately, stress has become a part of their everyday life today.
However, we at Delhi Public School Kota, one of the top CBSE affiliated schools in Kota, would like to assure you that upon figuring out the causes and signs of stress in preteens, you can easily reverse the impact. Yes, it might not happen immediately, but will definitely take place over time. It may be difficult but not impossible, so there is nothing to worry about. The key is to remain patient and persistent!