A national WebMd report found that parents rate school and friends as the biggest sources of stress in their kids’ lives. The survey also found that 72% of children have negative behaviors linked to stress and 62% have physical symptoms linked to it, such as headaches and stomachaches. The reasons are many:

• Faster child development – hink kindergartners having homework.

• Academic pressure and high-stakes testing.  Last week I spoke with a 6th grader who shared that he was distraught because he got a B on a test .  He was worried he ruined his chances of getting into a good college.

• Over-stuffed schedules.   Fun activities like sports or art or music are meant to be relieve stress,  not contribute to it.

• Fewer healthy outlets for stress.  Recess and PE times have been slashed.

• Media saturation.  Kids (and adults) now have a 24/7/365 access to negative events happening in the world.

• Bully and teasing – live and online.

• Not enough sleep.  Sleep loss affects memory, judgment, and mood.

• Chronic illness.  Asthma, obesity and behavioral and learning issues top the list of conditions that more than doubled between 1994 and 2006.

• Family disruption.  Family illness, deployment and divorce increases stress and anxiety.

• Parental stress.  Kids and teens feel the stress their parents are under too.