Living With Stress , livre ebook

Marshall Cavendish International - Nelson Lee Dr

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67 pages

English

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What causes stress in a child? Can stress impair his ability to function and develop normally?

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Publié par	Marshall Cavendish International
Date de parution	15 août 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9789814721356
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0300€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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2015 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
Illustrations: Julie Davey
Series designer: Bernard Go
First published 2003 by Times Editions
This 2015 edition published by
Marshall Cavendish Editions
An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International
1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Requests for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: (65) 6213 9300, fax: (65) 6285 4871. E-mail: genrefsales@sg.marshallcavendish.com . Website: www.marshallcavendish.com/genref
The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Other Marshall Cavendish Offices
Marshall Cavendish Corporation. 99 White Plains Road, Tarrytown NY 10591-9001, USA Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited.
National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Lee, Nelson, 1970- author.
Living with stress / Dr Nelson Lee Dr Ong Say How ; illustrations by Julie Davey. - Second
edition. - Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2015.
pages cm - (Living with)
First published 2003 by Times Editions.
eISBN: 978 981 4721 35 6
1. Stress in children. 2. Stress management for children. 3. Stress in adolescence. 4. Stress management for teenagers. I. Title. II. Ong, Say How, author. III. Davey, Julie, illustrator. V. Series: Living with.
BF723.S75
155.4189042 -- dc23 OCN915436392
Printed in Singapore by Markono Print Media Pte Ltd
Dedicated to all the children of the Child Guidance Clinic and their parents
CONTENTS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
PART 1
Understanding Stress
PART 2
What Causes Stress?
PART 3
Recognising Stress
PART 4
Is Stress Always Bad?
PART 5
Understanding A Child s Needs
PART 6
Communicating With Your Child
PART 7
Helping Children Manage Stress
PART 8
Helping Adolescents Manage Stress
PART 9
Overcoming Examination Stress
PART 10
When Parents Are Stressed
PART 11
Essential Skills For Handling Stress
PART 12
How Teachers Can Help
PART 13
Where Can I Go For Professional Help?
USEFUL RESOURCES
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
PREFACE
Singapore s main resource is its people. It is inevitable, therefore, that in such a society, there is competition and pressure to excel. This often translates into an environment that produces stress, and this is an issue that has to be addressed if it constantly arises. Too much stress may lead to under-performance, thereby depriving individuals of opportunities and denying the country of a potential source of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
In the 2011 Singapore Youth Resilience Survey conducted by Beyond Social Services, 55% of the 1,941 respondents cited school as a source of stress, followed by parents (28%), peer pressure (24%), personal relationships (23%), loneliness (23%) and money (23%).
The obvious thing to do is to blame society and the system we live in. We often feel disempowered and disillusioned as we imagine that there is little or nothing we can do in view of the fact that this system has already been put in place. We feel that we have no choice but to join the rat race and compete, and this often leads to low morale and a sense of despair. It may be true that as individuals, we have little power to change the system per se. Yet, it is often how we deal with and react to the system that gives us the ability to change our perceptions and cope with the demands of society.
Our children are also not spared from stress. Early in life, they are told about the need to excel, and they have to face various significant tests and examinations. Pressure or stress may come from various sources. Children may feel pressure from within themselves, from parents, from teachers as well as from peers. Children must learn to respond to and adapt to these different forms of stress. We must bear in mind that while small amounts of stress may actually be beneficial and result in increased performance, excessive stress may lead to poor performance and even mental breakdown.
Dr Nelson Lee
Dr Ong Say How
July 2015
INTRODUCTION
Some children internalise stress and express it through sadness, depression or by withdrawing from company. Other children may express feelings of stress outwardly in the form of misbehaviour. How can we help our children cope with the competitive environment they live in?
This book focuses on the ways in which parents and children can learn to make stress a healthy part of their lives. It also attempts to help parents and caregivers understand and identify the different types of stress that children today face, and differentiate between good and bad forms of stress. Parents are also advised on different activities that they can engage in with their children to help alleviate symptoms of stress.
Often, a child may appear mature and able to handle responsibility; he may even seem like a miniature adult . Parents may, inadvertently, add to the stress a child feels by expecting him to behave as an adult too early in life. Parents should consider, perhaps, that their child has been given too many responsibilities at too tender an age, and may be getting pushed too hard to perform, excel and grow up.
Parents, teachers and other caregivers have the important responsibility of guiding children along the path to maturity. Helping children deal positively with stressful situations allows for healthy emotional and social development as well as the inculcation of life-long skills.
Stress may be defined as a reaction to challenges and events that disturb or threaten us. It may also be seen as the body s reaction to a physical or emotional situation that causes imbalance in our lives. A person under stress experiences an increase in heart rate. He also breathes faster and his muscles tense up.
1.1 IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE TOTALLY FREE OF STRESS?
Occasional stress is normal and often predictable. Normal stress presents us with challenges for greater learning and provides opportunities for personal growth. One example is the small amount of stress we may experience before meeting new people. This may prompt us to present ourselves well and to also take an interest in the other person. On the other hand, constant or excessive levels of stress can cause significant problems. Stress can be cumulative and unless it is properly handled, it can add up and provoke maladaptive responses; mental balance may be affected if we then experience additional stress from a new situation.
1.2 HOW DO CHILDREN RESPOND TO STRESS?
Children react to stress in different ways. Some children fall ill. Some may become withdrawn and nervous, while others display signs of anger and demand attention. In some instances, when stress is prolonged, a child s development may be affected.
Stress can come about when a life event or situation causes imbalance in a child s life. An unhealthy response to stress occurs when the demands of the stressor (a factor that causes stress) exceed the child s ability to cope with it.
Parents and caregivers need to be aware of the events in a child s life that may affect his behaviour. They should discuss events that take place in the home, especially when the child starts behaving out of character.
2.1 WHAT CAUSES STRESS IN CHILDREN?
Stress can be caused by both negative and positive events. Some of the negative situations at home that serve as sources of stress to children include:
the break-up of a family,
physical abuse,
separated or divorced parents,
rejection and quarrels,
a parent losing a job,
death of a family member.
Positive events that can cause stress in children include birthday parties, new pets and the arrival of a new sibling. Even everyday family obligations, events, and routines can create stress and tension for a young child, as an active family may be so busy that it overlooks the child s needs.
2.2 HOW MAY STRESS IN CHILDREN BE CLASSIFIED?
Stress may be caused by a number of factors. In children, however, the causes of and responses to stress can be divided into two broad categories. These categories are not mutually exclusive.
Personal characteristics
The first category includes the personal characteristics or temperament of the child, together with his ability to cope. Some children are more sensitive than others and even small matters tend to bother them a lot, causing them to fret and worry excessively. These children are more susceptible to stress whereas others appear to be more resilient and seemingly unaffected by stress.
More resilient children tend to bounce back from a threat or setback after only a very short period of recovery. They are able to adapt to changes quickly and then immediately carry on with their lives. Even then, many children have difficulty in understanding how to cope with stress.
Parents should remember that regardless of a child s temperament or personality, he may be taught efficient ways of coping with stress.
Events surrounding a child
The second category includes the events that directly affect a child, or indirectly affect his family and