Strategy for Stress: Helping Parents Help Kids

Amid evidence that parents often misread signs of stress in their children, the American Psychological Association has released two fact sheets: Identifying Signs of Stress in Your Children and Teens and Talking with Your Children about Stress.

The APA's 2009 Stress in America report showed that children worry about school, the future, money, and other challenges far more than their parents believe. Chronic stress can lead to psychological and physical health problems that undermine school success. For example, 44 percent of children report sleeping difficulties, yet only 13 percent of parents think their kids have trouble sleeping. One-fifth of children say they worry a great deal or a lot, but only 3 percent of parents rate their children's stress as extreme.

Reposted from the SEL Exchange published by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).