Psychologists believe that today’s children face more stress than past generations. This has a lot to do with children’s social support system and their environment. Many children aren’t raised surrounded by both parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins like they were in past generations. The high incidents of both parents working, high divorce rates, step families, single parent families, and peer/social pressure has drastically altered the experience of childhood. Many children from low income families experience stress over getting their essential needs met while kids from wealthy families often struggle with the pressure of being successful, being over-scheduled and peer pressure.
Not ALL stress is bad and not every child in a less than ideal environment or support system struggles with stress. Moderate amounts of pressure imposed by a teacher or a coach, for example, can motivate a child to keep his/her grades up in school or to participate more fully in athletic activities. Successfully managing stressful situations or events enhances a child’s ability to cope in the future. Satisfying the basic needs of your child, letting them know they are loved and having them in a safe and encouraging environment will help them deal with stress (even when challenging circumstances prevail).
If a child does not have their basic needs met (food, clothing, shelter, etc.) and they don’t feel safe and loved, they can react poorly to challenge and adversity (such as the death of a loved one, bad grade on a test, moving, losing in a sport, etc.). As stress persists, they might be more susceptible to illness and experience fatigue, nightmares, teeth-grinding, insomnia, tantrums, depression and school failure. Over time, too much stress damages the brain and makes it difficult for children to learn.
The Effect of Stress on the Brain:
- Sympathetic nervous system activates “flight or fight” response
- Body increases heart rate
- Adrenal gland releases Cortisol (see below)
- Blood glucose is directed from the brain to muscles
- This state makes it very hard for students to pay attention, to avoid distractions and to regulate their emotions
The Negative Effect of Cortisol on the Brain:
Too much Cortisol can …
- Cause brain neurons to shrink
- Have a negative effect on memory
- Trigger the “fight or flight” response which diverts blood glucose from the brain to muscles
Some Good News… On top of a loving and safe environment (mentioned above), “Exercise turns out to be the closest thing to a wonder drug that self-control scientist have discovered. Physical exercise makes your brain bigger and faster, and the prefrontal cortex shows the largest training effect.” – Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.
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