Is your child not able to perform well at school? Does he/she look stressed everyday when he/she comes back home?

Many parents believe that student life is stress-free. Hence, they are not able to understand the worries and pressures their kids go through, all the way from elementary to high school.

Today we’re going to discuss some of the causes that could be giving stress to your child at school.

1. Pressure From Parents

You may be enforcing upon your children to study and do well in all subjects, because you want a good future for them. But too much pressure can become a cause of stress in children. Many students constantly worry about getting good grades, just so they can make their parents happy. Even high achievers go through sleepless nights when they have an upcoming test that they’re not as prepared for as they want to be. If you observe that your child is not able to focus on studies, try dealing with them at an emotional level first, and then influence them to prepare for any test or exam. If they are emotionally and psychologically healthy, they’ll be motivated to perform well at anything they’re asked to do anyway.

2. Too Much Homework

Schools give homework to students to keep them occupied for the rest of the day. But just like adults, students also need a break from workload for few hours everyday. In some households, children are allowed to chill, hangout with friends or simply play on their own when they come back from school. They are used to do their homework later in the evening. But in other households, to match up with the family’s routine, children are required to start their homework as soon as they reach home. This might trigger frustration among children. In other cases, the homework given is simply too much and cannot be practically completed within the limited hours that children get to spend at home. This makes them feel overloaded with studies, leading to low academic performance.

Brian Wallace, the founder of NowSourcing and contributor to Hackernoon, stated in one of his articles featured in Student Voices, “Whether it’s classes, studying, or writing that 10 page paper, there never seems to be enough time.”

3. Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is a part and parcel in everybody’s life, from a very young age. Some people easily learn to cope with it, while others take time and go through stress in learning to handle it. As long as your child is going to school, he/she is facing a social environment, and thus some level of peer pressure is inevitable. Many children, when they are still in primary school, expect their parents to fully understand their circumstances. They most likely even try to share their experiences with their mom and/or dad. But if they feel that they’re not getting the support they’re looking for, they grow up to be more and more reserved towards parents. Assuming that children have nothing to worry about is a flawed concept. We need to maintain a friendly behavior with our kids, so that they feel comfortable sharing with us what’s bothering them.

4. Poor Sleep Schedule

Lack of sleep or poor sleeping schedule reduces the ability to concentrate, particularly in children. This makes them irritable, which ultimately leads to stress. Children need proper sleep of at least 8 hours a day. If your children are not able to get 8 or more hours of sleep on a daily basis, they will not be able to perform at their best in school. It is also important for them to sleep through night hours, instead of splitting their sleep hours during the day.

According to Luke Wiese, “A solid sleep schedule matters!” This applies even more for children.

5. Class Participation

Although students are generally encouraged to participate in class, some children by nature are not the outspoken type. They might feel pressure or stress if they are pushed to speak up and ask questions from the teacher in class. These students can still perform well, as long as the teachers deal with them one-on-one.

Knowing what’s the cause of your child’s stress is key towards helping him/her. Most of the stress in children comes from factors involved in their school routines, including but not limited to those mentioned above.

If you want your children to academically perform at their full potential, try to help them manage their stress.