Generation stress | Mums&Dads N81

by Cat Allen, Director of Noodle Performing Arts, Cheshire

Stress is a word that gets thrown around constantly, usually by adults and in relation to everything we do: “the commute is so stressful... work is really stressful at the moment... I’m stressed about money.”

Mental health is today’s buzzword, and it seems sadly that children are now as likely to suffer the effects of stress as adults, but why?

My youngest son applied for the army this year at 16; he has always wanted to pursue a military career, but the process has been stressful, and he’s gone through more than many of his peers, whilst taking his GCSEs in the same year. As a parent it has felt daunting, so for one his age I can only imagine what he feels. My eldest at 18 has been dealing with A-levels and the minefield of the ‘what on earth do I do next’ question. But they are young adults... bordering on self-sufficient and you might say well, this is where it begins.

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