There is no doubt that stress affects our health: numerous studies have shown that stress adversely impacts the immune system, placing it under strain and making us more susceptible to illness and disease. Children are very sensitive to their surroundings, and suffer a great deal of stress when they experience instability or disharmony. The effects of stress in children, however, can be more difficult to identify than in adults, and may manifest in unexpected ways.
Watch your tone
The impact of family dynamics and a positive nurturing environment are extremely important in the child’s growth and development. From a very young age, children learn how to communicate from their parents and caregivers. This is not only the acquisition of words but – and in some ways more importantly – the pattern of communication. As difficult as it may be for parents to acknowledge, it is important for them to understand that the way they speak to each other, and the style of communication they display in the home, directly impacts on the child.
For a child, coping with stress as a result of circumstances in the home can be difficult. The child does not yet have suitable coping mechanisms for dealing with stress, and may act out this stress in various ways. Sudden onset of bedwetting, for example, may reveal underlying stress in the home. Changes in appetite with an increase or decrease in weight, as well as repeated illnesses, can all be signs of stress in the child.
See the world through their eyes
Children see the world very differently to adults. Young children particularly believe their actions directly affect those around them. So, for example, the six-year-old child may really believe that mom and dad are arguing because he didn’t finish his school lunch.
Parents have the difficult task of balancing the need for open dialogue with the need for age-appropriate communication. Too much information may also negatively affect the child.
Keeping the balance is not easy, but as with all of life’s challenges, an approach that is empathetic to the age and stage of development of the child will go a long way to ensuring that the family environment remains a positive influence in the child’s life.