Tips for parents from UNICEF

When children are stressed, parents can help them find a way to overcome this condition. The first thing you can do is remind yourself to be kind to yourself.

 Detect triggers. Help the child to recognize and begin to track the moments when he feels stressed, as well as to find patterns in the reaction. What happened at that time? What was the child thinking, feeling or doing before experiencing the stress? After that, you can explore together how to prevent such situations or quickly solve the problem.

 Respond with love. Give your child more love, time and attention. Watch to see if the stress is affecting her health, behavior, thoughts, or feelings. Do not forget to listen to her, speak kindly and reassure her.

 Be a role model. Tell your child how you coped with stressful situations. Your experience can inspire your child to find good habits to overcome stress.

 Promote positive thinking. Children, especially

teenagers, it is easy to start thinking badly about themselves. If you hear your child say things like, "I can't do anything," "I don't like myself," or "I'm afraid to go out," ask them what makes them feel that way, and remind them of what they've accomplished and how they did it. . Positive reinforcement from you will give the child understanding and confidence that he can cope with stressful situations.

 Maintain healthy habits. Sleep and proper nutrition are crucial to reducing stress. Experts recommend that children from 6 to 12 years of age sleep from 9 to 12 hours a day. Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. To protect sleep, limit the use of gadgets after dark and do not keep them in the bedroom. The better your child eats and rests, the easier he will be able to cope with stress.

Encourage your child to spend time outdoors, play and meet friends. Exercise, meditation and breathing exercises are beneficial and help reduce stress.

©UNICEF