The Tools and Support
Needed to Better Face
Life's Challenges
The Tools and Support
Needed to Better Face
Life's Challenges
Resilient Youth
Kids Are More Stressed Than Ever
Studies suggest that American children are more stressed than ever. Suicides among adolescents have quadrupled since the 1950s. In one major study, only 36 percent of 7th graders agreed with the statement “I am happy with my life;” and in the past decade, the use of pharmaceuticals to treat emotional disorders has increased 68 percent for girls, and 30 percent for boys.
How Does Stress Affect Your Child?
Chronic stress can prevent a young person’s brain from developing properly, leading to significantly impaired learning and emotional regulation. Stress can also lead to health problems later in life including alcoholism, depression, eating disorders, heart disease, and other chronic diseases. For parents and kids, finding effective techniques to reduce stress can be the key to navigating the challenges of childhood and teenage years so that they can reach their full potential.
Being Calm Helps Children Cope With Stressors Now and Throughout Life
Just as kids with good muscle tone excel at sports, kids who practice relaxation techniques are good at responding to and recovering from emotional stress. These children can:
- Reflect on their emotions and better control their impulses
- Cope with emotions such as fear, frustration, and anger
- Relate to others in more empathic, compassionate ways
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve academic performance
- Develop better work habits
- Improve memory
- Increase self esteem
Online Resources
The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital is a web-based resource that educates parents and other caregivers about the psychological development and emotional well-being of children, adolescents, and young adults who struggle with behavioral, emotional, and/or learning challenges. We do so through a narrative multimedia approach that delivers high-quality content via multiple formats, including blogs, audio podcasts, online videos, and social media. Our information is presented in an easy-to-understand manner that is both engaging and entertaining, and is continuously updated based on new research, current events, and user feedback.
Individual Sessions Available
For more information contact Rana Chudnofsky, MEd at
617.643.6068 or email rchudnofsky@partners.org
