Tools to Reduce Stress and Help Your Child Focus in School

When children graduate from the preschool class to private kindergarten, they will sometimes feel a bit stressed out. More is expected of them at this stage in life, and coping with expectations and trying to meet expected timeframes may seem like a daunting task, leading to less productive studies or even unwanted behavior patterns. To help alleviate the stress in your child's life, try these established tools that reduce stress and impress focus in children.

One Thing Then Another

Overloading Montessori kindergarten children with a list of things that need to be done overwhelms them, and that often leads to reduced performance. A better approach is to show what needs to be done, and then help your kids prioritize the schedule so that they can focus on a single thing at a time. There may be a lot to do, but accomplishing the list in single-task increments reduces the stress of expectations.

Physical Activity 

Research shows that physical activity helps reduce stress. The Montessori Method already puts a lot of emphasis on physical activity because it is beneficial for childhood development. At school and at home, giving children plenty of opportunities to get outside and be active will always be a great approach to better physical, mental, and emotional health.

Communication

Just like their adult counterparts, kindergarten children excel when they feel as though their concerns and needs are being addressed. Communication allows them to voice their wants and needs, express their problems, and work out appropriate solutions. Inclusion is an important part of the Montessori Method, and communication is a big step toward making young kids feel like part of the family and the community at large.

Established Routines

Setting up and sticking to regular routines is a great stress reliever for everyone, including school children. For kindergartners, things like a regular sleep schedule, helping prepare and clean up after dinner, and playing a leading role in caring for the family pet are all ways that children can establish reliable routines that make them feel more comfortable. Additionally, getting enough sleep at night and preparing for school efficiently every morning means they will be in a more relaxed frame of mind, and that allows them to focus on the tasks at hand instead of feeling like the things that are expected of them are one big jumble of "do this and do that."

The important thing to remember is that children are really just small versions of adults that have less real-world experience to draw from. They tend to model their behavior after what they observe in the adults around them, so practicing good emotional behavior at home encourages children to do the same. A good rule of thumb is that worrying about things does not accomplish much and that everything will happen in due time if we slow down and focus on what is important.