Calming Anxious Lives
A Holistic Parenting Approach
by lisa marshall
For fourth-grader Skylar Shumate, a typical tuesday looks like this. Rise at dawn for some toaster
waffles and juice before sprinting to the bus at 7:15 a.m. Study for spelling en route to school.
Embark on a seven-hour school day, filled with classes and quizzes. Head to cheerleading at
3:15 p.m., hip-hop class at 5 p.m., then return home to practice piano and do homework before
grabbing dinner and heading to bed.
in all, Skylar reports, she is a happy kid. “But sometimes, if i’m super stressed, i’ll go cry in my
room,” she confesses. “I sometimes just wish there wasn’t so much pressure.”
S
uch a statement from a child is Nationwide, healthcare provid-
that have intersected to create a perfect
particularly chilling. But, accord- ers report an increase in stress-related
storm,” says Carl Honoré, a 41-year-old
ing to a growing body of research health problems like stomach aches,
father of two and author of Under Pres-
and legions of concerned child devel- teeth grinding, sleep disorders and
sure: Rescuing our Children from the
opment experts, Skylar is not alone. behavioral problems in children as
Culture of Hyper-Parenting.
young as preschool age. Some anxiety
He notes how anxious parents are
troubling trends
can be attributed to trouble at home,
feeling the need to prepare their kids for
According to a study by the California-
such as abuse or personal tragedy. But a
a tough job market. They have money
based Lucile Packard Foundation for
more insidious culprit appears to have
to afford extracurricular activities, and
Children’s Health, up to 70 percent of
emerged: a culture of hyper-parenting,
because they are becoming parents
parents report that their 9- to 13-year-
in which kids are overscheduled and
later in life and raising fewer children,
old children experience moderate to
academically overloaded, and adult
they have a tendency to dote on them
high levels of stress. In a recent poll of
role models—concerned about every-
and expect great things. “Children are
high school students by Stanford Uni-
thing from terrorism to pandemics and
the target of more adult anxiety and
versity, 65 percent admitted they were
the economy—are more stressed than
intervention today than at any time in
often or always stressed out. According
ever.
history,” says Honore.
to the National Mental Health Informa-
“We have stumbled into a unique
Most troubling is the realization
tion Center, anxiety disorders affect 13
moment in the history of childhood, a
that too much childhood stress can
out of every 100 children ages 9 to 17.
cocktail of cultural and historical trends
have lifelong health consequences.

Westchester/Putnam Counties
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48