Encourage Healthy Ways to Cope

HEALTHY COPING

School can start to feel very overwhelming very quickly, but helping your child develop healthy coping mechanisms can prevent stress from becoming overwhelming.

Healthy coping strategies include:

●       Exercise or sports

●       Creative hobbies

●       Music

●       Journaling

●       Spending time outdoors

●       Talking with trusted adults

●       Deep breathing or mindfulness

●       Getting enough sleep

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Children also tend to mimic what they see around them, which means that the example you set for them is extremely important.

If you model healthy coping mechanisms and strategies, they are more likely to pick them up and begin using them as well.

Your child does not just learn from what you tell them. They also learn from how you handle stress, frustration, and difficult moments yourself.

Creating healthy habits together can make coping feel less like something they have to figure out on their own and more like something your family practices together.