Ready, Set, School! Preparing Your Child for a Successful Year
JUL 16, 2025The back-to-school transition after summer can be tricky for many children but there are steps you can take earlier in the summer to make it easier.
Read MoreNo one likes it, but stress is normal. In fact, stress is sometimes healthy and can help you perform better. Stress is also an individual experience. We all have different thresholds for what we consider stressful, and that includes children.
Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. For children, stress can be placed into two categories:
While stress can help nudge children to get things done or to perform at a higher level, too much stress can affect their readiness to learn and their progress.
A parent’s first instinct is to protect their kids. That’s why it’s a natural response to step in and solve problems. But there’s a reason children often say, for example: “Please don’t talk to my teacher yet!”
If you hover or become a helicopter parent, you’re giving children another thing to worry about – the sense that they are disappointing you.
As parents, our role is to help our children learn to deal with everyday stressors. Rather than solving their problems, it’s more important to guide children in how to deal with stress. Some helpful stress-taming tips:
Keep in mind, how you respond to stress sets the tone for your children. Not only do they follow your guidance, they also emulate the behavior they observe. Practice these stress-positive habits in your everyday life.
Self-care includes:
A positive approach to stress can help parents build relationships in which children feel supported and learn how to manage daily stressors independently and successfully.
The back-to-school transition after summer can be tricky for many children but there are steps you can take earlier in the summer to make it easier.
Read MoreWe often associate Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) with the winter months and the lack of sunlight, but the summer heat can also take a toll on your mental well-being.
Read MoreMindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged with whatever we are doing at the moment.
Read MoreWhen you need local health information from a trusted source, turn to the CHI Health Better You eNewsletter.