Are you stressed?

       First off, I want to ask the question, what is stress? It is a normal response to a perception to danger. Often times it is distress and some sort of pressure we feel. That could be something happening at work that needs done by a certain time, or a big assignment to get done for classes. Something that someone else expects us to do, or influences from the outside world. Today, stress is a common thing to have, and we all hate it! Right?! Well today, there is also stress in the family setting. It could be between just the husband and wife, or also with the kids. There are many different things that could cause it. Stress could be caused on kids if they think their family doesn't "care" about them, or they don't show an interest. One way a child could develop this is if they have an activity going on, and they don't see the support from their parents. The best way to cure this, is to show interest in your child's activities even if you don't want to. You want to create that bond with your child or children and let them know you support them and care for them. Once they know that you have that bond, and they see your support, there is some stress lifted from them and they are able to concentrate on more things. It's sad to see a family fall apart, and the children have so much weight on their shoulders because they feel like their parents don't care about them, and they don't have that support. It goes back to when I talked about having a strong foundation in the family. It starts with the parents, and then goes to the kids. Whenever you see an opportunity to bond with you child, take that opportunity. Whether it's a school event, or some free time you both have, take advantage of that in order to show your child you care about them and you love them. This could be a sport your child is involved in, or maybe a concert or play at their school. Whatever it may be, invest your time in them and let them know you are there for them at all times.
         However, this comes from everyone in the family. In order for that bond to be stronger, it has to come from everyone. We did a visual experiment in class where we had students play roles as a mom, a dad, a son, and a daughter. They all held hands and stood in a circle. The teacher walked around pulling on them giving them "stress" and they had to hold the circle together. Now while doing this, if one person was being pulled on, the others were pulling harder to keep them up. That is what the family needs to do. All of them play a part in having structure and taking care of one another. Pull others in when they are having a hard time to help relieve that stress. Don't let them do it on their own. In class we talked about the ABC,X model. In this model, the Actual event, Both resources and responses, and the Cognition's, led to the overall eXperience. Sometimes having challenges can strengthen your ability to go through those challenges as a family. The closer you are, and the more you support one another, the more likely you are to get through things together and stay close. Success isn't automatic. It takes time and work, and if in a crisis never "what if" yourself. Be confident, and help others around you. Replace those untrue thoughts with true ones to make you happier. One thought can change everything, and the more truth you think, the more lights come on. Stay together as a family, be strong, love one another, and show your support for each other even when times are hard, things will be okay.