When Children and Stress CollideThey Will Need You MostWhy are children and stress so difficult to deal with? When we have our hands full with other things, we don’t think about things like this.
Young children don’t usually know what is causing the stress. They are not capable of understanding stress and what is wrong like adults can. They will need us to help them through the stress. Children suffer stress on many occasions. Like moving to a new neighborhood, changing schools, illness or whatever. It is how we handle it, as parents, that makes the difference in the stress. 
When chronic pain is introduced into the family the stress level rises very quickly. Moods can become somber. Their activities can change and become recognizable. Your neat child doesn't care about keeping his room clean. He does not want to go out and play with friends. Alone more and more with stress. He chooses instead, to follow you around like you are about to leave him alone. The feeling of being abandoned can raise a child's stress level significantly. They may be exhibiting tantrums, acting out at school, irritable, easily agitated, or even isolating themselves. Stress may be a reason for picking fights with their classmates or siblings. This is a sure sign the child is stressed and not coping very well.
Signs and symptoms of children and stress are:
A child’s age has a lot to do with how
children handle stress.
Effects of stress on children:Young ones have a hard time explaining their feelings and stresses. We must be aware of these signs.
It is very important that children be taught about stress and how to cope with it.
Teach older children to cope with the stress. Explain the ways that they can handle it. Stress can disrupt a young persons confidence in themselves. Help them evaluate their feelings of stress and discuss what is causing it. Just being there to talk is important in helping the child to move forward. While chronic pain is the culprit in this situation the children will pick up on the stress that is involved. They do not know what is happening and worried what will happen in the long run. Children have a tendency of blaming themselves for what is happening at home. When undo stress comes into the life of a child they often feel it is their fault. During this time, children and their stresses are hard because everyone becomes distracted. The pain patient requires more attention and the children get less than what they are used to. All they want is your re-assurance that you love them and that will never change. They can come to you and talk at any reasonable time. Make yourself available as much as possible to answer questions. They feel the stress too. We tend to expect older children to understand more than they should. Teenagers years are difficult anyway, but a family member having chronic pain, especially a parent is not ideal. They are stressed with homework or who is dating who. They expect to do things in their own time. Not good. You will have to have their help to make things work, at home.
Remember a hug and an "I Love You” will lend a soothing reminder.Stress Stress and More StressChildren and stress differ greatly: Our son kept all his feelings of stress inside him. I could never read how he was coping. He never let the it show. We did talk quite a bit but nothing was said about his stress. Our daughter was the one acting out. She needed more and more of my attention. She was in trouble at school. She started sneaking out of the house to be with friends. All the while, I did not think of her being stressed about anything. It finally became clear, she was begging for my attention, by her actions of stress. I was so stressed and involved with my husband and his needs I had frankly, forgotten about my children. For our daughter, it was almost too late. The stress nearly tipped her over the edge. As time went on, she realized her father would not fully recover from his accident, her stress changed. She couldn’t seem to do enough for her dad. Ironically, they never got along until that time. Now they are best friends.
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