If you are a parent with a child who is old enough to attend school, you may be concerned about how much stress he or she is feeling.
Many students today are pressured to perform well on standardized tests and to balance their schoolwork with numerous extracurricular activities like sports, musical instrument practice, and school clubs. Other students who are older may have the added burden of working before or after school and on weekends. Most guidance counselors encourage students who hope to attend college in the future to do all of these things.
Students who are in special, intensive academic programs like International Baccalaureate may experience more pressure than their peers. They may feel reluctant to miss school even when they are ill because of a fear of falling behind.
Some children and young adults may not be mature enough to handle all of these responsibilities on their own. Parental support is very important for them, because they often need to be told if they are doing too much and encouraged to take breaks when needed. The parent’s role in teaching children and teens how to properly manage anxiety is significant.
Certain schools are also starting to invest in students’ health. New programs designed to teach stress management techniques are available in some places. Other new ideas for keeping students relaxed include including animal therapy in school, teaching students meditation techniques, and using community resources.
If you would like to know more about measures being taken by schools to relieve stress in students, read the in-depth article from USA Today at the link below.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/17/stress-students-schools/2654839/
