WHAT IS FAMILY STRESS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS AND HOW CAN we HELP?

Family stress in children and teens can arise from various sources, impacting their emotional and mental well-being. Parent-child relationship difficulties, such as challenges in communication and finding common ground, are common stressors.

Divorce and associated changes can also significantly affect children, in some, causing increased stress and anxiety. Adjusting to changes like a new sibling, moving homes, or other major life transitions, even when exciting, can be stressful. Additionally, sibling conflict and poor family communication can create a tense home environment. It is normal for children to experience stress and for families to experience stress. When greater levels of emotional or behavioral difficulties in children and teens are experienced, support from a therapist and solid evaluation on the level of clinical concern is helpful.

At Milestones Psychology, our clinicians decipher how stress impacts children and can educate families on the level of clinical concern. We offer support to families, helping them manage these stressors, improve communication, and foster healthier relationships to promote overall well-being and emotional resilience.

Common Family Stress Challenges

Problems in the home can stem from a number of things, including parent-child relationship difficulties. Challenges relating to one another, communicating, and finding common ground are often seen in teens and young adults, and in some cases, it is hard to break unhealthy patterns or poor communication habits. Our licensed clinicians can help you and your child navigate healthy communication and dynamics in parents and children.
For some children, divorce can have a major impact on their stress levels. From the initial stages of separation, all the way through the divorce proceedings, divorce in the home can be quite difficult for all family members. There are important and healthy ways to navigate divorce, including language to use in the home, how to present information to children, as well as how to navigate changes in the home setting that can help children to have a healthy experience. Clinicians at Milestones have worked with many different families and have helped to navigate divorce and resilience in children and families.
Any type of change in the home can bring on family stress. Grandparents moving in, the birth of a sibling, and many other changes can be challenging to adapt to, even when exciting. Some children and teens need help understanding and regulating their emotions in the face of change. Clinicians at Milestones can help you and your family work through these changes with greater ease and less conflict.
Difficulty communicating with family members may cause stress for parents, children, or siblings. This can happen at any age, but it is especially common during the teenage years. If family communication is causing stress in the home, therapists at Milestones can support children, teens and parents to promote healthy communication patterns and close family relationships.
Sibling rivalry and/or sibling conflict happens when siblings are at odds with one another, when personalities differ, when one or many feel jealousy towards each other, or when one child requires more support than others. While some degree of sibling rivalry is normal, repeated incidents may lead to stress and tension within the family. There are best practices for helping children and families to communicate and foster healthy communication and bonds.
Family stress may present itself when life transitions occur. Moving to a new home, divorce or separation, going from elementary school to middle school/high school, welcoming a new sibling, or having a sibling go off to college are all examples of life transitions that may change the dynamics of the family. These can be difficult for some children to navigate and may require the assistance of a licensed professional.

If your child or teen is struggling with family stress, don't hesitate to reach out. Contact Milestones Psychology today to learn more about our services and how we can support your family on the journey toward positive change.