Instead of completing her schooling in conventional way, Malvika was home-schooled since the age of 12. After being a three time medal winner at the International Olympiad of Informatics, she bagged an MIT scholarship for BSC degree.As reported by the TOI, Malvika was in class seventh when her mother decided to pull her out of school. It was stress and a growing sense of unhappiness during her school days that led her mother Supriya to take an action for her child. She wanted her child to be exposed to as much worldly knowledge as possible.
So, the point here is not about being unconventional but it’s about how much the parents are aware of their child’s stress. Nowadays, education has become very competitive which leads to a lot of stress and increases the expectations of the parents for their children.Hence, Parents should try to be open to children’s stress levels and help them cope with it.
You may not be open to homeschooling but you can always try to decrease your child’s stress.If you notice some signs of stress or worry in your child you must try to openly communicate with them.Children nowadays go through a lot of stress and are very overwhelmed due to it. Having regular conversations with your child can help you and your child work together to understand and address any stressors they are experiencing.
Every child wants to be understood and most importantly heard. They want their parents to understand them and their situation. They expect them to listen with an open mind without being judgmental. But it’s not always easy for parents to know what to do for a child who is under stress.
Following are some ways through which you can help your child deal with their stress.
NOTICE
Whenever you observe that your child is under stress , try to address the issue. If you feel that addressing it will help then try to name that feeling.Instead of getting annoyed and saying,”What is it now ? Why are you still stressed? Move on now !” , try and be more comforting for your child. You can comfort your child with a statement like, “It seems like you are still stressed about your last paper.Would you like to talk about it ?”
LISTEN
Let your child’s feelings be heard. Try to understand and listen to your child’s feelings by being more attentive and calm. They require you to listen to their issues with more interest, an open mind, care and patience. Sometimes we tend to judge, blame or react to things unknowingly. So listen to them and give them their time and space.
EMPATHIZE
Many times just by being there for them and understanding their situation helps the child to deal with their stress in a better way. They might not feel like talking about what’s bothering them sometimes. So, let your child take their own time to open up to you. Let them know that you’ll be there for them whenever needed and they can talk whenever they feel like it.
BE PATIENT
Being patient is most important. It’s upsetting to see your child unhappy or stressed. Sometimes all you need to do is focus on helping them but with patience. At times try to resist your urge to solve their problem. Let them learn to deal with their ups and downs on their own with your guidance. It will also help them in initiation and put their feelings into words when needed. With your motivation they can bounce back to try again.
So,if your child is going through stress then Observe, Listen and Address. Children cannot solve each and every problem as they go through life but we can always teach them to deal with it. Healthy coping strategies will help your child to manage their stresses in the future more effectively.
To know more about stress ,Get in touch with our psychologists here.