Wellbeing and Mental Health

Stress Management

Children experience a range of personal and social stressors in their everyday lives. Assisting children to recognise their personal signs and symptoms of stress, and to develop strategies that will help them to deal with stress effectively, will help them cope with future challenges.

At TPS, these skills are taught as part of the Respectful Relationships Program.

At home you can help your child learn to manage their stress by:

Acknowledging and validating your child’s feelings and letting them know you’re there to support them.
Helping your child to recognise signs of stress such as tense muscles, racing heart, sweaty palms, trouble sleeping and feeling overwhelmed.
Gently inquiring about what is causing the stress.
Helping your child to make changes or adjustments to manage the stressors. This may include simply listening to their worries, or helping them to manage their time more effectively and prioritise which things need their attention first, and which things can wait.
Encouraging healthy choices such as being physically active, eating good food and sleeping well.

Supporting your child to relax and unwind, especially before bed by utilizing relaxation strategies such as listening to quiet music, breathing and mindfulness exercises, reading a book and having a bath.

Anxiety

Feeling anxious is a survival response to situations where there are dangers or threats. It is normal for everyone to feel anxious at times. These symptoms are our body’s way of protecting us, and in many situations this response can help to spur us into action when we need to get out of harm’s way and motivate us when we need to get over the finishing line.

If your child is experiencing anxious feelings that are intense, persistent and interfere with their capacity to learn, socialise and do everyday things, it can be helpful to seek professional support. A good place to start is by talking to your child’s GP or paediatrician, who can refer you to an appropriate mental health practitioner. To find out more about anxiety and ways to support you child, please refer to the list of resources below.

For Parents

Articles…

Podcasts…

For Children

Books…

Hey Warrior: A Book for Kids About Anxiety by Karen Young
How big are your worries little bear? By Jayneen Sanders
The Huge Bag of Worries by Virginia Ironside
When My Worries Get too Big by Kari Dunn Buron

Online…