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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Stressed-out kids

With the economic downturn and the mounting pressures at school, kids are experiencing more stress these days than in the previous year, according to a new national survey by the American Psychological Association.

Parents, however, remain unaware of their children’s stress levels.

According to the APA, nearly half of teens ages 13 to 17 said they worried more this year, but only 28 percent of parents acknowledged this increase.

“It’s clear that parents do not fully appreciate the impact that stress is having on their kids,” psychologist Katherine C. Nordal, APA’s executive director for professional practice, said in a press release.

“What we’re seeing with stress is in line with existing research about parents’ perception of their kids’ engagement in risky behaviors. Parents often under-report drug use, depression and sexual activity in their children. Now it appears the same may be true for stress.”

Children said the sources of their stress include their family’s financial difficulties and the pressure of performing well in school. The kids also reported they experienced headaches, changes in appetite, difficulty sleeping and other physical symptoms associated with stress.

I wonder if the parents themselves are under so much pressure that they don’t have time to consider that their own children are suffering from stress.

What’s the stress level like at your home these days? How has it affected your children?

Can you recommend any ways to teach children how to cope with the pressures of their day-to-day lives? What can families do to eliminate stress?

- Posted by Virginia de Leon

Join the conversation at www.spokesman.com/blogs/parents .