Three tips to help your child in times of stress

Things you can do to promote your child’s wellbeing in times of stress:

1. Your own emotions:

Be aware of your own emotional state and share your feelings with your child where appropriate:

“I am feeling sad now because it’s raining and we can’t go for a walk”.

How we cope with stress as parents will have an impact on our child’s wellbeing. How they see us coping with problem solving will affect their ability to deal with both positive and negative life events themselves.

2. Be patient:

Have patience and give children time to share their feelings when they are ready. Sometimes children aren’t ready to ‘tell their story’ when you want them to.

3. Doing is Soothing:

Children are sometimes more likely to share something that is bothering them when they are doing something else like:

• Playing with their toys
• When you are out for a walk together
• When you are driving in the car together