As parents we’ve all been there. Our child melts down in Target and we’re just trying to calm the hysterics, pay for our cosmetics and ibuprofen (it’s no wonder we need the latter), and make it out alive.
Or our tween’s big worries and big feelings come at bedtime—the night before our big presentation at work. And we have to somehow help them settle without our stress going through the roof, right? Then later, in the teen years, our kids might swing between gruff and sullen or demonstrative and drama-filled.
And no, it’s not your imagination: being a teenager probably is more difficult than it used to be. Pew Research Center published findings showing that 69% of parents and 44% of teens think being a teenager today is harder than it was twenty years ago.
Think about it: Today’s kids just weathered a pandemic, have shooter drills at school, and live in the fishbowl of social media—not to mention the routine stressors kids have always faced as they develop into adults. No wonder anxiety in our kids is on the rise.
Thankfully, we hold tremendous power to help soothe their stress. Here are 5 ways to calm a stressed-out child of any age.
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