{"id":16072,"date":"2020-05-19T10:19:30","date_gmt":"2020-05-19T15:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pillarscommunityhealth.org\/?p=16072"},"modified":"2025-07-25T10:48:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T15:48:10","slug":"5-family-activities-to-reduce-childrens-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pillarscommunityhealth.org\/es\/5-family-activities-to-reduce-childrens-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Family Activities to Reduce Children\u2019s Stress"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Heather Fernandez, MSW, Bilingual Outpatient Therapist<\/em><\/p>\n

The success of our young children depends on the care they receive at home, at school, and in the community. Mental health is a vital component of that overall success and well-being: 1 in 6 U.S. children ages 2-8 years old has a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention<\/a><\/strong> (CDC)\u2014and that rate increases with age.<\/p>\n

An especially stressful, traumatic, or confusing time\u2014such as the COVID-19 pandemic\u2014can create strong emotions in children, as well as adults. \u201cChildren and teens react, in part, on what they see from the adults around them,\u201d writes the CDC.<\/strong> Parents can create calm, safe spaces for children to express their feelings by incorporating mindfulness activities into daily life. As part of our school-based partnerships, we recently recommended the following activities to parents at St. Mary\u2019s School in Riverside, IL, during their e-learning time. These activities can help you and your child gain coping and communication skills at home.<\/p>\n

Activity #1: Play \u201cName That Feeling.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch the video below and see how many feelings you can each show:<\/p>\n