Kids Burn Out, Too

Childhood is supposed to be one of the most enjoyable periods of our lives. But if your child is struggling with primary school, here’s how you can help.

Wei (not his real name) was cheerful and energetic, like his friends in English tuition class. But his worries and feelings of strain clearly showed in the essays the Primary 4 student submitted, which were filled with angry sentences such as: “A burglar entered my home, killed my mother and dumped her body in the closet.”

Wei is among an increasing number of children in Singapore buckling under pressure. At the Institute of Mental Health, new cases of stress management in children alone jumped from 100 in 2007 to 173 last year. And at the Singapore Children’s Society (SCS), such cases account for 40 per cent of total cases. Counsellors have noticed that there are more stressed-out kids.

While it may be tempting for parents and caregivers to assume that children do not experience stress, the truth is they do. Dr Carol Belhatchet, the director of youth services at the SCS, reveals that it can result in a string of problems such as truancy, bullying, smoking and drinking, among others. So it is important that you help look out for the symptoms, identify the causes and help your child overcome the sources.

How can you tell if your child is worried and anxious, then?

Get a copy of the November 2009 issue of Young Parents to learn how you can help your stressed-out child.