Stress in children is estimated to have increased 45% over the past 30 years. 9% of children aged 8-12 say they have difficulty, but only 13% of parents report awareness of children’s sleep problems.

The Psychology Foundation of Canada applies the best psychological knowledge to create practical programs helping children become confident, and productive adults. Our programs and resources are delivered through multiple channels and diverse partnerships across Canada.

With the help of a range of educators, psychologists and stress experts from across the country, the Psychology Foundation of Canada has developed programs to provide educators with the awareness, knowledge and skills to help children become more resilient and healthier by learning to manage their stress. The program helps parents and those working with children to better understand childhood stress and how to provide children with age appropriate tools to help them deal with stress effectively.

First Three Years - Make the Connection® program was created to train caregivers and educators help parents foster a secure, nurturing relationship with their baby.  This program contains three programs, MTC 0-1 for babies, MTC 1-2 for toddlers and MTC 0-3 for babies and toddlers.

Kids Have Stress Too!® program was developed to help teachers and others who work with preschool and school-age children promote positive social-emotional development and effective stress management in classrooms and recreational settings. This program and materials has been created individualy for children in Preschool and Kindergarten, Grades 1-3 Classrooms, Grade 4-6 Classrooms and Grade 7-9 Classrooms.

For more information about these programs go to our Programs page.

Programs

 

What does stress look like in a child?

A child’s day is filled with excitement and challenges. And while many children are able to roll with the ups and downs of life, some struggle to maintain balance and focus. And sometimes these struggles manifest as “behavioural issues” and beyond.

You are more likely to notice a childt’s behavioural issues because they are visible and may be disruptive to the classroom. But it is important to realize that a child’s stress response may go beyond actions that attract attention. Some children in your class may be experiencing a range of physical, mental or emotional reactions to highly stressful situations in their lives, including conflict between their parents or problems keeping up with schoolwork.

You can usually tell when a child is experiencing significant stress—at home, school or elsewhere—by the way they look and act while they are at school or at home.

Your important role:

As key role models in children and student’s lives, educators have a critical role to play in helping teach and demonstrate effective stress management. For many educators, this process begins with becoming more aware of the impact of their own stress.

To order or download our material please go to RESOURCES  or contact us at info@psychologyfoundation.org for more information .