Stress isn't confined to adults. Teens and children also experience stress, and parents need to be able to recognize the signs. Children who are stressed or anxious often miss school or are withdrawn. Parents may notice that their child is nervous about a test, making a sports team, or performing in school play. Consistent communication is one of the best ways to discover if a child feeling stressed.

Talk to the child and ask her about upcoming stressors in her life. Remember that extracurricular activities, meeting new people, fitting in, and dating are common stressors for teens. Challenges that are not stressful for adults, may cause stress in teens and children. Parents who believe that their child may be experiencing stress, should ask the child if she would like to discuss the situation with an objective third party. Sometimes children open up to counselors.

Children sometimes need options for dealing with stress. Teach children how to cope with stress and identify it for themselves. Parents can teach children relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and positive self-talk. http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/7-steps-to-positive-self-talk/ Positive self-talk is using positive words to combat negative thinking and criticisms. Parents can also boost their child's self-esteem and help empower the child by praising the child instead of criticizing.

Children who are stressed may have trouble sleeping. Anxious children tend to try to avoid the environment or issue that is causing the stress. Therefore, a child who loves baseball and no longer wants to play the sport, may be experiencing stress on the team. Unexplained abdominal problems, bed wetting, and sudden thumb sucking are also a symptom for stress. http://www.pregnancyihub.com/identifying-childhood-stress-its-symptoms-and-reasons/

Communication and observation skills are necessary to determine if children are experiencing stress and anxiety. Opening the lines of communication, listening to children and checking for inconsistent behaviors can help parents learn if their children are experiencing stress.