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Peninsula Kids
Home»Education»Building confident kids …
Education

Building confident kids …

Updated:January 25, 20235 Mins Read
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Managing Stress in Our Under 10’s

By Kim Norton

Tantrums, nail biting, stomach aches, and cries of “I don’t wanna go” can all be signs of stress.  In our younger kids where expressive language has not yet fully developed, these physical, mental and emotional signs can be a common way for our toddlers and younger kids to tell us that they are just not coping.  In our primary school kids, similar responses can be seen in those that have not yet learnt how to recognise and manage their own stress and anxiety.

As some stress is a necessary part of everyday life, we don’t want to save our kids from every stressful situation that will come their way (micro managing their lives just does not work and actually creates more stress for all involved). Instead, we want to empower our kids with the ability to recognise their own stress symptoms, triggers and behaviours and equip them with the tools necessary to manage them.   

Recognising how our kids respond to stress is a great place to start.  A thought, a place, an event or a person (whether real or imagined) can all evoke a “fight or flight” stress response in our kids that can vary in intensity and frequency.

So what can symptoms of stress look like:

  1. Nail Biting/Nail Picking
  2. School/Child Care Refusal. Not wanting to go to school with no clear answers as to “why”.
  3. Stomach Aches. More than the usual number of stomach aches with no medical reasons.
  4. Irritability and anger. Sudden and/or more frequent bouts of irritability or anger as our kids are experiencing strong emotions and are unable to cope with them.
  5. Sleeping Problems. Insomnia, nightmares, constant waking or trouble falling asleep. Too much or too little sleep. Bedwetting.
  6. Loss of confidence
  7. Changes in appetite. Eating more or less and craving high fat/high sugar foods.
  8. Frequent Headaches. More than the usual number of headaches with no medical explanation.
  9. Rapid heartbeat/palpitations
  10. Avoidance. Avoiding tasks or events that will cause stress like trying out for the school choir even though they love to sing at home and can sing quite well.
  11. Clinginess or separation anxiety. Clinging to a parent or specific teachers.
  12. Excess Fidgeting
  13. Obsessive Worry. “What if”? Worrying about every little detail of the day.

What can cause these symptoms or behaviours?

  1. Nightmares/bad dreams
  2. TV programs (a glimpse of the news as they walk through the loungeroom can be enough)
  3. Some Computer/Playstation/Xbox games
  4. Some YouTube Videos
  5. Death in the family
  6. Divorce
  7. Moving house
  8. Sudden changes to household routines like a parent starting night shift
  9. Starting school/starting a new school or child care facility
  10. Overwhelming schedules
  11. Upcoming school test, dance recital, sporting final
  12. Genetics and family history
  13. Scary movie or book

As the parent what can you do?

Observe and listen.  A child will not always be able to say “I am stressed”.  Look for signs as already mentioned, observe their body language and listen to what they have to say.  Statements like “I don’t feel well” or “I have a sore stomach” or a child who is continually apologising can often be code for “I am stressed”.  Remember this: “Never in the history of calming down has anyone ever calmed down by being told to calm down.”  Your child needs age-appropriate strategies that empower them to manage their own stress and anxiety and not to be told to just “calm down” or “you’ll be fine”.

Some simple strategies that you can employ yourself include teaching your child some breath work and mindfulness activities.  Teach them to stay in the moment and not fret about what may or may not happen next.  If your child is having trouble sleeping then set up a good bedtime routine (this starts 3-4 hours before sleep) and use guided meditations to help them drift off.  The calmer your child is before sleep then the better quality of sleep they will have.  Look at your stress levels and how you cope with the stressors of day-to-day life.  What examples are you setting for them? 

Lastly, if you need help then seek it out.  Enlist the services of a Counsellor or Psychologist to help you develop an action plan that will investigate your child’s symptoms of stress, the causes behind them, the initial symptoms and the implementation of individualised strategies that will work for them and the family as a whole. 


Kim is the founder of Rainbow Light Therapies and is a Holistic Counsellor specialising in stress and anxiety management for kids, teens and adults. Kim provides a unique, intuitive and individualised therapy approach through individual, small group and family counselling sessions at her studio in Langwarrin. Also working with special needs kids, Kim is an NDIS registered provider and runs workshops for people of all abilities on various topics throughout the year. 

Please see www.rainbowlighttherapies.com.au for more information.

Peninsula Kids – Autumn 2019

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Grab your cameras and hot choccies! Neon Fields returns to glow up Frankston! When the sun goes down it is time to gather family and friends and venture into Neon Fields. Beauty Park will once again be transformed into a colourful fantasy world where you’re invited to interact and play among the lights during this free event! —————————————————————————— #southsidefestival #neonfields #frankston #beautypark #visitfrankston #whatson #whatsonthisweekend #thingstodo #freeevent #photoops #lovepeninsulakids @southsidefestivalfrankston
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In July, Associate Professor Andrew Kornberg, Senior Neurologist at The RCH Foundation, will embark on a remarkable solo flight around Australia to raise $4.5 million for life-changing treatments for children with rare and complex conditions. Called Fly for the Kids, this one-of-a-kind fundraiser will help establish dedicated spaces, resources, and specialist staff at the RCH, making advanced therapies — including revolutionary gene therapy — more accessible to sick children across Australia. Andrew’s journey will see him revisit patients whose lives have been transformed by advanced therapies, putting real faces and stories to the incredible impact of this innovation in paediatric healthcare. You can learn more about the campaign here: https://flyforthekids.org.au @rch.foundation
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Breast Cancer Trials, ANZ’s largest oncology research group, is holding a ‘matched giving day’ on Thursday, 8th May where – for 24 hours only, donations from the public will be matched dollar for dollar by a group of generous supporters. Every dollar raised will be doubled to help fund clinical breast cancer research. How can people get involved: Donate online at breastcancertrials.org.au/givingday (this will go live On Thursday 8th May) Donate by calling 1800 423 444 Follow Breast Cancer Trials on socials and share their own stories, thanks and memories of their mums and mother-figures. @breastcancertrials
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Today we received a gorgeous entry for our colouring in competition from a 75 year-old reader of Peninsula Kids magazine in the actual MAIL! 💌 This has made my day so much that I may have to pay the entrant a visit with a special prize for all their effort and for giving me a huge smile on a Monday! How’s that artwork?!?!?! 🤩 Have you sent your entry in? IG: Use Linktree in bio to download a copy. FB: check out pinned/featured post. 🧑‍🎨 @chocolate.grove —————————————————————————— #peninsulakids #peninsulakidsmagazine #colouringin #colouringincompetition #chocolate #chocolatehamper
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⏰ Don’t Be Late for This Important Date! 🎩 On now through 20th April, the stylish boutique hotel, Hotel Chadstone, is bringing the magic of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland to life. Inspired by the famous Mad Hatter’s tea party, this whimsical high tea invites you to delight in both sweet and savoury creations that reflect the fantastical nature of Wonderland. 🐇 Bookings are essential. For reservations, please call +61 3 9108 3333 or email info@altusrooftop.com.au #madhattershightea #madhatter #dontbelate #hightea #schoolholidays #schoolhols #thingstodo #chadstone #altus #chaddy #funforall #familytime #gettogether #drinktea #teatime
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