This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Kathleen Head about recognizing stress in children and teens and helping them learn healthy ways to manage stress. Dr. Head is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and the Associate Medical Director of the MUSC Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. All children and teens feel stressed sometimes. Doctor Kathleen Head is here to talk about recognizing stress in children and helping them learn healthy ways to deal with stress. Doctor Head is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, and she's the Associate Medical Director of the MUSC Boeing Center for Children's Wellness. Doctor Head parents know what it feels like as an adult to experience stress, but what do we need to know or understand about kids and stress?
Dr. Head: Like you said, everyone experiences stress and some stress in kids is good. For example, when they play in a championship soccer game or have an exam. This type of stress actually builds resilience and helps our kids learn good skills. But when they have stress like bullying, this type of stress can actually cause anxiety or depression, or health concerns that we need to look out for.
Conner: What are some of the signs of stress, specifically in children at various ages?
Dr. Head: So, the signs are going to be different in younger children and teens. So, in younger children, they may have trouble going to bed at night. They might cry at bedtime. Maybe they'll complain of a tummy ache or lose interest in food, or have tantrums at ages that you wouldn't expect, like 6 or 7 or 8 years old. Teenagers might start failing school. They might lose interest in their friends, or not want to do some activities that they used to like, like sports. Maybe they get interested in substances like alcohol or drugs. And so, we need to look out for those things and be open to conversation.
Conner: And what can parents do to help their children recognize when they're feeling stressed?
Dr. Head: The best way we can help kids recognize stress is for us to look out for them when they're little and teach them to understand their own feelings. So, recognizing it and naming it when they're as little as 2 or 3 years old and coach them through it when they're young. So, when they have a temper tantrum coming to them and asking them to talk through it rather than punishing them. As they come into those teen years, just make sure you have an open door to be honest and to listen. Of course, there's always room to help your teen improve their behavior and make sure they're not doing anything dangerous. But first things first, you want to be there to support them when they're going through a difficult time.
Conner: What are some of the positive ways that kids can learn to deal with stress?
Dr. Head: Some of the best ways kids can learn to deal with stress are being involved in social connectivity. So, having friends, being in groups like scouts or other clubs, being physically active. So, joining sports teams at any age. And also for us to teach them how to relieve stress, something like quickly deep breathing or counting backwards from ten. Some little kids also like to color or sing or dance. That's going to be a great way to relieve stress. For teenagers, they can journal. And then older kids really get involved in things that they're interested in, whether that be making music or finding an artistic outlet.
Conner: And what might parents do if they just feel in their gut that their child is really overwhelmed with stress?
Dr. Head: If you ever sense that your child has sadness or if you feel they're down and depressed, please reach out to their doctor, their pediatrician. We have a lot of resources that we can help, but please never walk through this alone. We want to walk with you side by side.
Conner: And also, if your child is ever experiencing a mental health emergency, please take them to the nearest emergency department for immediate help. Doctor Head, thanks for talking with us about children and stress.
Dr. Head: Thanks so much for having me here.
Conner: Bobbi from the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
