(WQOW) - If your child is restless, clingy, or overly-emotional, they may be experiencing stress.
"It's really been a long two years during the pandemic, and so many families have experienced a lot of stress related to school and work and all the restrictions we've had in our society," said Dr. Mala Mathur, a pediatrician at UW Health Kids.
The good news is you can help them manage that stress. Experts at UW Health say teaching your child how to stop, focus and just breathe is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.
Incorporating other mind-body techniques, like meditation or yoga, can help prevent physical and mental health challenges that can occur if stress is left unaddressed.
"For preschoolers, even just a couple of minutes of deep breathing or quiet activities can be really beneficial," said Dr. Mathur. "With grade school children, maybe 3-10 minutes of meditation, deep breathing, mindfulness per day can be beneficial. And then for teens and adults, it's really however much time you have. But really, 5-45 minutes would be great if you can do that once a day."
Dr. Mathur said you can incorporate deep breathing into a bedtime routine. This will help your child wind down for the night and make meditation easier when stressful situations arise.
Another good time to try it is before and after time-outs.
