STRESS BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

Stress is not a state that is reserved purely for adults, but a state that is felt more and more often by children too. Stress results in many children being absent from school during the last months of class before the holidays, because they don't feel well. Headaches, stomach-aches, psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression and other forms of distress are all common signals that children are under too much pressure. Stress that is the result of school environments affect even the youngest children, although teenagers suffer the most from stress-related illnesses. Can the main cause of these occurrences be found in the school system, or maybe in the teachers? How should the educational process develop and proceed throughout the year to avoid or at least reduce stress?

Annual experience shows that the last months of school is one of the most stressful period of the year (even more so than the festive period in December). The ones who suffer most are students who are mainly in the higher classes of primary school and high school, followed closely by teachers and parents … Or parents and teachers, so as not to be unfair, because sometimes it is difficult to define who is affected more.

But has it always been this way? Or has stress in school, just like in so many other aspects of our lives, escalated? The fact of the matter is that we live in a time of high demands, constant hurrying, competitiveness and seeking to achieve higher results. But these are not the only causes of stress. The connection between parents and their children is becoming weaker and weaker and the same goes for the connection between teachers and their pupils. Many children have too many after-school activities that are designed to help them achieve something in life, by making their knowledge and skills more versatile. But all of this only deepens the gap between children, parents and teachers.

We mustn’t forget that the relationship between adult and child is the most consequential relationship throughout the child’s life. Adults often forget that children are just little people, who have emotions but sometimes can’t control their behaviour in a ‘sociably acceptable manner’. And who is responsible for this? Because of the unsuitable communication between adults and children, many children develop the social skills they’ll need in life much later, if at all. One of the most important skills is known as ‘time management’, the next are flexibility and goal orientation. There are, of course, many more skills we could list that a young person needs today to attain self-realisation.

But we must be fair – many adults don’t possess these skills. How can they then pass them on to their children? A child learns through imitating and following their parents lead, and this is how they internalise values and skills.

So how does one encourage children to face challenges, such as exams, tests and projects, in a timely and goal-oriented manner? The answer is that we must start teaching our children to accept responsibility, as soon as they are capable of accepting it, depending of course on their level of development. The result of this can be seen in a first-grader who makes sure his school bag has everything he needs, and a ninth-grader who is already thinking about what he wants to achieve in life and how to reach his goals.

If we want to teach our children to solve problems creatively, we must first make sure we do away with our own inclinations towards being critical. A young person who wants to be successful today must be independent, grown up, creative and must readily take the initiative to get things done. This means they have to learn these skills though upbringing at home and at school. As soon as possible.

Do you think this is impossible? Don’t. There is always time in life to change our behavioural patterns and start living in accordance with our true selves. We can make our lives better for ourselves and everyone around us.