How to deal with children's stress at school?
By tinkerick
@tinkerick (1257)
United States
June 20, 2008 2:23pm CST
My 13 year old daughter has complained of stomach pains for a couple of years now. We've mentioned them to the doctors but no one seems to offer any help.
I've tried having her eat yogurt every morning and it does seem to help a little bit. Which made me think she might have IBS or something like it.
But now I've concluded that it's stress - mainly at schoool. Now that they've been out of school nearly a month she says her stomach is fine.
I've asked her if she feels stressed at school, or if there are things that bother her there. But she says there's not. Although I do note that she often talks about difficult classes, and kids she doesn't like at school. Plus I know she struggles with schoolwork.
What kind of suggestions do you have on helping her alleviate her stress at school?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
21 Jun 08
I was the same way when I was around the same age. What helped me a lot was my parents getting a tutor for the subjects I was having problems in.
1 person likes this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
23 Jun 08
You may want to see if any of the teachers offer tutoring after school. Some will usually do it for free.
Around us there is Sylvan - high is insanely expensive and Huntington Learning - which I don't think is quite as pricey.
As far as touting, if you are working on your own just graduating HS should be okay. I know places like Sylvan and Huntington require at least a BA. My husband had looked into tutoring with them because he has taught classes, but since h doesn't have a BA, they can not hire him.
@selby70 (283)
•
20 Jun 08
My daughter was like that and I also suffered with that when I was at school and I know how awful it is so therefore I made sure my daughter was not going to suffer and get stressed out so I had meetings with the school and to cut a long story short she could go to school when she wanted and leave when she wanted to and with her knowing this she became less stressed and did spend a lot more time at school than being of with stomach ache.
1 person likes this
@tinkerick (1257)
• United States
23 Jun 08
That's great that your school worked with you and your daughter like that. Unfortunately we don't have that kind of flexibility here.
1 - because she doesn't have transportation to call upon if she wanted to leave.
2 - She needs the time in school. She's getting extra help with reading, spelling and math during school hours. If she was to miss time in school, I think it would hinder her learning more than help it.
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
21 Jun 08
I sugget that you take your concerns to the teacher, the principal and the schoolboard if necessary. School was bad enough when I was a teenager, but things have gotten so much harder or kids in the last few years.
@tinkerick (1257)
• United States
23 Jun 08
Thank you for your suggestion. For some reason it's never come up in our meetings with the school. I'll have to make a note to myself to bring it up at the next one.
@kerriannc (4279)
• Jamaica
21 Jun 08
Do she eat from the school canteen. This can cause from the food that she is eating. Maybe it isn't prepare properly and so she becomes sick whenever she digest it. If she is not eating from there find out the things that she eat on a daily basis and advice her to change her diet. Sometimes these things cause it. It is also good to seek any doctor's advice. Sometimes our regular ones get use to and stop putting interest in us as a client.
@tinkerick (1257)
• United States
23 Jun 08
Yes she does eat the school food, but the stomaches don't seem to revolve around food. She'll get them in the morning when she's getting ready for school, at school when it first starts, and all throughout the day.
I think you're right about seeking another doctor's opinion. The regular physician's office just doesn't seem to think it's a serious thing.
@busyboy22 (292)
• India
24 Jun 08
yeah childrens feel stress when their teachers ive them a lot of home work daily. this depends on the teachers as they feel like making children stress. the only best way is to make children stress free is giving them a good protein food and enough time to sleep and play as well. if this doesn't work out just talk to the teacher who is giving a lot of work to do. keep posting have fun enjoy mylotting.
@tinkerick (1257)
• United States
24 Jun 08
Stress with homework is right! The amount of homework kids get these days is ridiculous - and it starts right in kindergarten!
I understand they are trying to get parents more involved with their children and school, but please - kindergarten homework? And then to expect the parents to have time to sit and do homework with the kids?
It's alright if you only have 1 child, and a job that doesn't make you get home right at dinnertime. But for the majority of households - finding time where the parent and the child can sit together to do work - EVERYDAY - is near impossible. And then when you add on more kids....!!!!
Then there's the fact that they are teaching kids with completely different methods nowadays. So now us parents are completely confused as to how the kid is supposed to actually figure out their work. When we try to help - we just confuse ourselves and the child too!
I understand we are trying to form better students, but I think their expectations of what can be done at home is far too high for these modern times.
