School burnout?does this word ring an alarm? Apparently, many parents may not know what a school burnout is and how does it affect the kids. In a layman’s term, school burnout is referred to the stress baggage or over scheduling a child deals with in regards to school.

Kids and teens face this in common. If we evaluate their day to day activities, then kids; mostly in the age bracket of 5 years and above have a lot to deal with. They are simply overbooked with school, after-school activities, sports, homework and other school related activities.

It surely can be a complex balancing act and at times it is logically unfeasible to fit everything in.  When kids are overscheduled, they turn stressed, less persistent and bad-tempered. If you have observed that of late, your child has been showing lesser interest in going to school or he isn’t much keen about his other activities; it may be because of school burnout.

Let us here understand it in detail, its symptoms and preventive measures to deal with school burnout.

Symptoms to look for

Burnout or stress must be dealt without much ado. First, you will have to look out for its warning signs and figure out if your child is dealing with burnout.

Physical symptoms

• Tiredness
• Frequent headaches
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Irregular sleeping patterns
• Nervousness
• A desire to cry
• Neck cramps
• Extreme sweating
• Lack of hunger
• Heartburn
• Abnormal food cravings
   

Mental symptoms

• Bad temper
• Lack of concentration
• Lack of interest in friends & activities
• Decision making trouble
• Feeling guilty
• Feeling helpless
   

These signs indicate the child is overstressed and to ensure that the problem is dealt with properly, you must take the appropriate measures.

Measures to deal with burnout in kids

1. Assess his schedule: The very first thing you should do is assess your child’s daily schedule. If you feel that your child needs more of down time, find out if there is any activity that can be cut off from the list. You can even ask your child and know as to where is he facing the problem precisely. If he isn’t happy with his sports practice, try to know what the real cause is. There are chances that your child may not like the ambience at that place or he isn’t happy with the trainers he has got. Before you pull off any activity from his everyday list, just know why the child isn’t interested in it.

2. Plan things flexibly: You surely want your child to excel in every field along with studies. But that doesn’t mean you have to overburden him. Give him the needed space and let him relax his mind and body. Keep his activity schedule very flexible so that things can be changed as and when needed. This will even keep your child relaxed and at ease. 

   
3. Prioritize things: When you start picking up tasks for your child based on priority, it will be better for your child also to focus on one thing at a time. If for instance, he has a sport event coming up; let him concentrate on that first. You can keep other of his activities on hold for sometime; say a music class or a karate class. Don’t force them to be the task master.  

4. Limit your expectations: This one is very important for the parents to understand. Overburdening the child with parental expectations can be very dangerous. This affects your child’s overall growth. Stressed with expectations, your child will always be in the quest to fulfil your desires, which can even make him fear failure. The feeling of not living up to your expectations can only make him guilty within. Understand your child’s potential and make efforts to nurture his talent rather than forcing him to do follow your aims.  

 
5. Encourage positive thinking: A positive mind can always keep stress away. Surround your child with positive energy. Maintain a cheerful environment at home, have open discussions, indulge in some fun activity and plan regular family outings. All this will boost the happiness triggering hormones in your child’s body and he will feel more relaxed and calm.  

6. Stick to a healthy diet: By making your child eat the right diet, you can minimize his chances of getting overstressed. See to it that he is getting all the needed proteins, minerals, vitamins, fat and carbohydrates. These not just maintain body’s health but even help in emotional stability.

7. Plan an exercise regime: With a healthy diet, a regular exercise regime is also very important. It increases the energy levels, boosts concentration, and improves relaxation. Just see to it that your child has his daily dose of exercise for nearly 60 minutes. It doesn’t need to be in a stretch; you can divide it according to his everyday schedule.

8. Take care of his sleep: Sleeping properly is very important as this is the time when mind and body get to relax and restore the energy as utilized throughout the day. See to it that your child gets an adequate sleep. This will help his body unwind and freshen up the mind as well.
Kids need to be given enough space so that they can live their childhood freely and enjoy the most wonderful years of their life without taking too much of burden. See to it that your child isn’t doing much than is needed!!