Often, adults are not totally aware of the fact that children and adolescents deal with stress.  Either the adults totally ignore the child/adolescent when (s)he brings up what (s)he considers a stressor or adults minimize what the child says because it has no comparison to the stressors that adults experience.  However, stress is very real to children and adolescents.  They have not had the experience of adults when it comes to stress so they do not have a clue as to how to deal with the stress. To them, it is an insurmountable burden.  As adults, we have the opportunity to listen and empathize when they come to us with their concerns.  We also have the opportunity to help them to learn coping skills so they can learn to better handle the stressors as they get older. 

• Read the introduction and discussion sections of the following journal articles:
  • Mcfarland, M. J. (2017). Poverty and problem behaviors across the early life course: The role of sensitive period exposure . Population Research and Policy Review, 36(5), 739-760. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.gracechristian.edu/10.1007/s11113-017-9442-4
  • Keizer, R., Helmerhorst, K. O. W., & Loes van Rijn-van Gelderen. (2019). Perceived quality of the mother–adolescent and father–adolescent attachment relationship and adolescents’ self-esteem . Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(6), 1203-1217. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.gracechristian.edu/10.1007/s10964-019-01007-0
  • Deo, I. R., & Prelow, H. M. (2018). The role of stressors and academic competence in adolescent depression by race . Journal of Adolescent and Family Health, 9(1), 0_1,0_2,1-40. Retrieved from http://in.libproxy.gracechristian.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.libproxy.gracechristian.edu/docview/20784153...
    
• Consider stressors you may have faced as a child/adolescent and how you learned to handle them.
  
• Prepare a 1-page double spaced assignment reflecting upon some stressors of your childhood/adolescence.  Were you able to share these with your parents/caregivers or did you have to figure things out for yourself?