Search and find articles. Free submission.
Search:
Home | Self Improvement | Stress Management

Article:
'school ~ Why Do So Many Young Children Suffer From Stress ~ ~ children'





"..... They are determined that they should enjoy those early years and imagine them playing in the garden.....
.....school,children,kids.stress,anxiety,learning,parents,activity,pre-school,help....."

When we hold our new baby in our arms for the very first time, most parents make a solemn vow that they are going to give them the very best start in life. We feel that they need to be exposed to every positive opportunity if they are going to succeed in life.

But by doing this, are we guilty of putting too much pressure on them? Recent studies have revealed that 20% of our children are suffering from such high levels of anxiety that they should be receiving psychiatric treatment.

Many parents have strong views on what sort of childhood is best for their little ones. They are determined that they should enjoy those early years and imagine them playing in the garden, building dens and hunting for fairies. Having fun is what they believe childhood is all about, not being force-fed activities.

They want their children to learn at their own pace, and develop their own tastes and interests. They would provide plenty of play-dough, paints, building blocks and dressing up clothes. But sad to say, life does not always follow the intended path. Within precious few years they find that their life is ruled by the clock and a calendar crammed with pre-school or after school activities. Both child and parents become stressed, over-stretched, overtired and over-pushed.

Why is it parents feel obliged to buckle under to ‘fit in‘ with all the other families they know? It often begins when children start school. The so-called ‘hot housed‘ children seem ‘streets ahead‘ having learned a variety of skills from pre-school activities and classes.

This is where guilt sets in; ‘have I neglected my child‘s development?‘ There children are happy, sociable, contented with a plethora of basic skills. But is this enough in today‘s highly competitive world? Panic sets in and parents feel that their children have to play ‘catch up‘ ~ fast.

This is where misguided but good intentions can frequently cause problems.

Before they know it, parents have their children enrolled in as many after school classes as they can muster; swimming, dancing, gymnastics and art etc. The kids may appear to ‘get used to it‘, but to what detriment to family and social life?

I have heard parents at the school door trying to arrange an afternoon slot when their children can just get together and play or go to a party. Sometimes the date has to be set weeks ahead because of all the packed diaries.

But there comes a time when children arrive home from swimming or gym, shattered. They barely have the energy to eat their tea and are too tired for their bath or bedtime story. You realize that these are not children feeling healthily tired after hours of play. The weary symptoms and short temper they are displaying are more akin to mental and physical exhaustion. They no longer have the energy to do the things they loved.

We have allowed our children to suffer this stress.

Hopefully this is when truly caring parents realize that in their effort to play ‘catch up‘ they are actually taking a backward step. Once again guilt steps in and you wonder why you have done this to your child.

Take a look back on your own childhood. There were few or no distractions of ‘desirable activities‘ so you learned to entertain yourself. (This is a skill which many children no longer possess and the reason, I often think, why they get into trouble when there is nothing or no one to entertain them.)

Reading was a pleasure not a wearisome task that had to be crammed in between other appointments. Remember the magical moments you planned for yourself; gathering friends to climb trees, make a den, act a play in the back garden. Activities that were special because you had organized them yourself, in your own time and at your own speed. You had the time and space to follow your dreams, but how can our children EVER do that if we don‘t give them the time and space.

Now I am not saying that there is no place for after school activities. I firmly believe that every child should learn to swim and be given the opportunity to follow a special talent. What I do feel is that we should keep things in proportion rather than trying to keep up with pressure we impose on ourselves through misguided guilt.

(c)Barbara Fyles 2008.

"..... You had the time and space to follow your dreams, but how can our children EVER do that if w....."



_____________________________________________


Barbara Fyles offers a unique guide for parents, ’How your toddler can start school “one step ahead” - the fun way, without the pressure or stress.’ Visit www.topkidz.co.uk for FREE Reports and activities



Report This Article

Article Source: http://searchnfindarticles.com

News Feed: DealBook is a financial news service reporting on mergers, acquisitions, venture capital and hedge funds and is produced by The New York Times. ...

Additional Articles From - Home | Self Improvement | Stress Management
  • Reflexology For Stress Relief - By : Brenda Williams
  • Assess Your Stress - By : Candace Czarny, CFM, ASID, LEED AP, Feng Shui Expert
  • herbal stress relief ~ Chinese Herbal Remedies For Stress Relief ~ herbal remedies for stress relief - By : Zachary Lingh
  • airport lounge ~ Book An Airport Lounge and Relax In Stress ~ Free Comfort Before You Fly ~ airport lounges - By : Reece Coleman
  • Hair Loss ~ Stressed by Losing Hair ~ Hair Loss Formula - By : James Bird
  • stress ~ The Science of Stress ~ depression - By : Micheline Moreaux
  • Busting Stress Busters - By : Ben Needles
  • stress ~ Coping With Stress ~ Anxiety and Depression ~ depression - By : Micheline Moreaux
  • Fighting Stress - By : Manora
  • english pronunciation ~ Intonation and Stress in English Pronunciation ~ english sounds - By : Frank Gerace

    • Please Rate this Article  

    Not yet Rated

    RSS XML Search N Find Articles
    Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Stress Management Articles Via RSS!

    school ~ Why Do So Many Young Children Suffer From Stress ~ ~ children
    Subjects



    Main Menu
    Home
    Submit Articles
    Member Login
    Top Authors
    Most Popular Articles
    Submission Guidelines
    Ezine Notifications
    Article RSS Feeds
    Partners
    Sitemap


    Authors Register Here
    Sign Up for a free account or learn more.
    Sharing
    Info
    New Stuff
    About Us
    Link to Us
    Contact Us
    Privacy Policy
    Terms of Service
    Software Download
    Article Directory Software
    Click here to download the exact software that powers this directory for FREE. Start your own article directory today!
    Watches Store Ebay

    CrawlTrack: open-source crawlers and spiders tracking script- SEO script -script open-source de d tection des robots


    Unique Articles
    Partner Links Directory

    Powered by Article Dashboard