USA Today has an article by Sharon Jayson describing the stress reactions of children when parents are stressed.
“Parents may think they’re shielding their kids from worry and stress, but a report to be released today by the American Psychological Association finds they don’t do a very good job of hiding their stress from their children.”
Ninety-one percent of 1,136 young people ages 8-17 surveyed cite ways they know parents are stressed, largely by their behavior.
The online survey, conducted by Harris Interactive in August, shows:
- 34% say parents yell.
- 30% say parents argue with other people in the household.
- 18% say parents are too busy or “don’t have time for me.”
The message from the consulting psychologist is: “It’s actually better to talk with your kids about the fact that the parent is having challenges,” he says. “The key message is ‘We’re going to address these difficulties and we’ll be OK. We’ll get through this.”
So, take time to talk and reassure your children or they will suffer.
