Do you think children these days have stress??

The other day I was talking to a relative, she said what today the children and the parents talk so much about stress. I feel what other work do the kids have other than studying and getting first mark.

There is nothing called stress.

But I feel there is stress. The pressure to perform from parents, the loads of syllabus, the competitions, the weight of books, the homeworks plus too many things to distract them everything pushes a level of stress in the child....

what do you think...

Dear Shanvy,

A poignant question. I feel that by nature, children do not tend to build up stress BUT the adults can really corrupt them. Through pressure on performance in various fields. And it is really sad to see them do that.

If you put pressure on kids, they are going to be stressed. So, the answer to your question is another question - do you pressurise you kid to perform - in sports, arts, school or socially?

But there is another kind of stress which is not due to us - peer acceptance. I have seen even small kids (5 yrs or above) can get stressed because of this. At that stage, this is a serious thing, I believe. This can be avoided if parents sympathetically listen and comfort the child and look into the cause of this problem instead of brushing it off.
So, this stress can also be avoided or lessened by interaction with thekid.

And I dont know what to vote here ??
Cheer

Dear Shanthi,

I do agree children have stress these days.

As parents we are always behind their back to excel in studies, art, sports and everything under the sun. Even summer holidays is not spared, promptly they are send to summer camps. With peer pressure and competition to do better always........they have More STRESS because they also are so immature to handle the same.

Last but not the least ............the fear of failure is always at the back of their minds.

dear shanti,

yes, they are toooooooooooo much stressed......................i still remember when krithikaa was in mainstream schools, the amount of time she used to be taking to finish her homeworks, study for exams.........all this led to very bad falling of hair, dark circles under her eyes............always disturbed, irritated................so much of stress.......and she used to tell me "mama, i am not able to write fast like other kids", and always i will tell her you can do it, please do it darling........its for your good........without even understanding that poor child's abilities..................i feel every one of us should understand their own child's capabilities.............rather than pushing that child for their own satisfaction...............

thank God now krithi is ok...............and anki always will tell me mama, you dont worry, i will get 50 marks in hindi, and other subjects i will get more marks, more marks she means above 80.....................she will do it.........so i dont bother her much...........i too agree with it, so she finishes her homework, plays from 6 to 7 pm in the evening.............come home watch some TV programs , then dinner, by 9 sleep.........this is their schedule.............we should allow them to play....... be free to kids, they will have to enjoy their childhood.............this is how i deal with them shanti.................its no use pressurising them for everything that we WANT...........

love
padma

dear shanthi,

Full credit(????????) for this goes to the parents and teachers.Now a days syllabus is heavy even for kg classes.I used to feel very pity for my daughter for her home works at her ukg,and 1 std.. school starts at 8.30 or 9.00.For that they have to get up atleast at 6 am.and run to school. and Read and write heavy portions.After coming home they will feel half sleepy.Then we send them to various classes.After the classes studies and sleep.THey don't have the time to play.Playing only can reduce the stress.

In between parents also beat and scold them for so many reasons.Paavam what they will do.We can only pity them because they have to survive the competetive world.

More than children,parents have so many ambitions which they put on children.Atleast to that extent i am happy to be a good mother.I don't force her to do any work including studies.

I remember the Bharathiar song odi vilayadu paappa

Kaalai ezhundhavudan padippu
Pinbu kanivu koddukkum nalla paattu
Maalai muzhudhum vilayattu
enru pazhakka padutthi kollu paappa.

THis will become history if it goes like this.

yes shanvy too much of stress they have these days due to parents as well as their school.

Shanthi

The topics you choose are amazing.

Inadvertently I feel that parents do make the kids feel stressed not only in studies but in other fields like extra curricular activities as well. I know abt a lady putting her 3 and half year old girl in classical singing, barathanatyam, piano, phonics and now looking for classes in swimming. This is apart from her going to school half a day.

Peer pressure also makes the kids stressed out a lot. They are confused whether to follow the friends, so that they are accepted by their friends, or to follow the parents who insist them to behave themselves..or else.

Lot of reassurance is needed here and we young parents also need a lot of guidance in destressing them.

krithika...........

that was a wonderful thing you have done by bringing down Bharathiar songs.............which is very apt for this thread....................

padma

I totally agree with Vijee on her views.

Parents also need to stop having over expectations from their kids. they shouldnt stress them saying that you should be first in class. and they keep comparing with their friends.. In this process parents forget that they do harm to the students than good.

I just remember the movie Taare Zameen Par as I am writing this entry. how apt is the movie in the current state? I was amazed when I was watching the movie also relating to the parents who give more stress to their kids asking them to do this or that killing their interests in painting, music what ever it could be.

Competition is always good when its moderate.
Vijee, though I agree with you, I should say, apart from studies, kids need to hv relaxation in any one of the hobby ..but this should not be a burden on them. it should only help to relax..

well.. these are my views and ppl have different views..I am just trying to share my views.

Well,

It depends on the education system. It is stressful in India. My SIL was extremely upset with her son becoz he did not score 100% any of the subjects but 96% instead in the 12th board exams.. He's got into IIT and anna univ. Now.. why stress urself & the kid as well..

I was allowed to play till eight in the night when I wa 6-7 years old, I don't think I'll be kind enough/ or afford to do that to my daughter in India..
-S