Is Your Child Dealing With Stress?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptoms of Stress in ChildrenHow to CopeWhen to Seek Professional Help

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms of Stress in Children

How to Cope

When to Seek Professional Help

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As a parent, there is almost nothing more heartbreaking or challenging than when your child is stressed. Sometimes it’s obvious when your child is experiencingstress—they act out, cry more than usual, or your parental instincts tell you that something is “off” with them.

But other times, it’s not clear that your child is experiencing stress, and you may feel confused. After all, most children aren’t able to sit their parents down and tell them that they are stressed. Not only that, but stress in children doesn’t always manifest in the same ways as stress in adults.

If you have asked yourself “Is my child dealing with stress?”, you are not alone. Let’s take a look at what stress looks like in children: signs and symptoms, what causes stress, and how to cope.

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All of us experience stress from time to time, but as adults, we can usually identify that we are stressed. We may notice tension in our bodies, headaches, racing heartbeats, and general feelings of dread and uneasiness.

But kids often don’t have the words to articulate what they are feeling, and they may not be able to recognize that what they are feeling is stress.

But, just like adults, children experience stress in reaction to difficult situations that happen in their lives. As their parents, it’s important that we learn to recognize these signs and symptoms so that we can help them cope.

Physical Symptoms

Behavioral Symptoms

Emotional Symptoms

What Causes Stress in Kids?

If your child is exhibiting signs of stress, you will want to do everything in your power to help them feel better. One of the first and most important things you can do is to try to understand why your child may be feeling stressed.

Identifying the cause of your child’s stress is the first step in helping them cope and work through their stress.

Some possible causes of stress in children include:

Many of the causes of stress are from life experiences that a child endures directly. But children are sponges and can pick up on stress from others around them, which can in turn cause them to experience stress. So being aware of what stress you may be under and noticing how this affects your child, is an important factor.

Is Your Child Dealing With Stress?

While stress in life is something that all of us experience from time to time, including children, it’s not something to take for granted. In certain ways, stress can help children grow and build up someresiliency. On the other hand, chronic or prolonged stress can create lifelong issues for children.

For example, a study published in theAmerican Sociological Associationfound that children whose parents dealt with mental health issues were more likely to experience distress as adults. Distress levels in adulthood were dependent on how long children were exposed to the stressor of having parents with poor mental health, and how severe their parents’ mental health issues were.

Thankfully, as a parent, you have an important role to play in how your child manages stress. You can’t always stop the stress from occurring in the first place, but you can help your child move through it so that they can learn from the experience and become stronger in the end.

Here are some ideas for helping your child cope with stress:

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Sometimes you can’t do it alone, and your child’s stress levels have reached a point where they need professional help to get them through. Signs that your child might benefit from therapy, counseling, or a meeting with their pediatrician include:

Parents may also seek professional help for themselves if they are struggling with helping their child. Not being able to help your child can cause increased stress and concern. So you may benefit from receiving additional support for yourself as you help your child navigate this.

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A Word From Verywell

Even though certain signs of stress in children are pretty obvious, a lot of the time, it can be hard to know if your child is dealing with stress. If you have educated yourself about the signs of stress in your child and you are still unsure if your child is experiencing stress, you should reach out to your pediatrician for further questions.

Some children aren’t simply dealing with stress, but may be challenged with a learning disability,ADHD, or another mental health condition that is causing their symptoms. It’s also important to keep in mind that while many types of stressful situations can be managed with some basic coping mechanisms, severe stressors—such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or bullying at school—may require additional support from acounselor or therapist.

The bottom line is that you don’t have to do this alone: help is out there for you and your child.

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6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.How to help children and teens manage their stress.National Library of Medicine.Stress in childhood.American Psychological Association.How to help children and teens manage their stress.Nemours Children’s Health.Childhood Stress.Kamis C.The Long-Term Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children’s Distress Trajectories in Adulthood. Society and Mental Health. 2021;11(1). doi:10.1177/2156869320912520Franke H.Toxic Stress: Effects, Prevention and Treatment. Children (Basel). 2014;1(3):390-402. doi:10.3390/children1030390

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.How to help children and teens manage their stress.National Library of Medicine.Stress in childhood.American Psychological Association.How to help children and teens manage their stress.Nemours Children’s Health.Childhood Stress.Kamis C.The Long-Term Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children’s Distress Trajectories in Adulthood. Society and Mental Health. 2021;11(1). doi:10.1177/2156869320912520Franke H.Toxic Stress: Effects, Prevention and Treatment. Children (Basel). 2014;1(3):390-402. doi:10.3390/children1030390

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.How to help children and teens manage their stress.National Library of Medicine.Stress in childhood.American Psychological Association.How to help children and teens manage their stress.Nemours Children’s Health.Childhood Stress.Kamis C.The Long-Term Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children’s Distress Trajectories in Adulthood. Society and Mental Health. 2021;11(1). doi:10.1177/2156869320912520Franke H.Toxic Stress: Effects, Prevention and Treatment. Children (Basel). 2014;1(3):390-402. doi:10.3390/children1030390

American Psychological Association.How to help children and teens manage their stress.

National Library of Medicine.Stress in childhood.

Nemours Children’s Health.Childhood Stress.

Kamis C.The Long-Term Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children’s Distress Trajectories in Adulthood. Society and Mental Health. 2021;11(1). doi:10.1177/2156869320912520

Franke H.Toxic Stress: Effects, Prevention and Treatment. Children (Basel). 2014;1(3):390-402. doi:10.3390/children1030390

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