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of the acts of Congress of
May 8 and June 30, 1914.
North Carolina State Uni¬
versity and North Carolina
A&T State University com¬
mit themselves to positive
action to secure equal
opportunity regardless of
race, color, creed, national
origin, religion, sex, age, or
disability. In addition, the
two Universities welcome
all persons without regard
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Carolina State University,
North Carolina A&T State
University, U.S, Department
of Agriculture, and local
governments cooperating.
NC
Parental Stress Can Spill Over to the Kids
Adult stress can spill over and affect chil¬
dren. Life just keeps getting more and more
rushed, money is tight, and you need to run
to keep up with family, health needs, insur¬
ance plans, appointments, grocery shop¬
ping, being a good neighbor, getting the
car inspected, taking the pets to the vet,
remembering mother's birthday, and more.
This is stress! But you must STOP and PAY
ATTENTION to anything that causes you to
lash out at your children. Is it really the chil¬
dren's actions, or did the children simply get
in the way of a stressful adult day?
This is how stress works:
Imagine this: You get a
speeding ticket on the way
to work because you were
thinking about the late
charge on your electricity
bill. You work hard most of
the day on a huge report.
But at 4:15, your computer
crashes. You had saved
only the changes made at
the beginning of the work
session. The clock is tick¬
ing, and you must pick up
your son at school. Your
co-worker stops by to chat,
and you get angry and
feel even more rushed.
As you bend over to turn
the computer off, your
elbow catches on an open
drawer. Although there is
no blood, a welt begins
to swell, and you wonder
if you can take any more
problems in one day. The
phone rings. It is the school;
your son has broken his arm
on the playground.
The secret of parenting
is to prevent your stress
from spilling over and
affecting your relationship
with your child.
Small things that bother you pile up,
or an unexpected event occurs.
You react and must think about
how to deal with the stressor, which
may involve the need for money,
time, family support, or other resources.
You react to the stress and take action.
The event either turns into a crisis, or you
make a plan to deal with it using your
coping skills and resources.
It's up to you to recognize stress and confront
the challenges it presents without taking out
your frustrations on your children. By doing
this, you can reduce the impact of the stress¬
ful event on your family. These guidelines can
help you confront stress.
STATE UNIV ERSITY
A&T STATE UNIVERSITY
COOPERATIVE
EXTENSION
Helping People Put Knowledge to Work
