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PEDIATRIC MASSAGE BENEFITS OF INFANT MASSAGE It is fun and enjoyable for all!
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MASSAGING THE GROWING CHILD BENEFIT FOR CARE GIVERS About Your Instructor Debbie also holds a BS degree in therapeutic recreation and has worked with the elderly and adults as well as children. She graduated form the Health Alliance School of Massage in 1998 and is certified through the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals. Debbie has been
attuned as a master level Reiki practitioner and actively uses this universal life energy throughout the adult massages. AT CECIL COLLEGE Elkton Station, Elkton, MD*********** Please call the college to preregister
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CHILDREN’S STRESS
Children of all ages have stress just like adults
Stressors for children may begin in the home such as parents conflicts, moving, family financial problems, difficulty with social skills or interacting with siblings, a death of a family member, and health problems in family members may all cause added stress on your infant, child or teenager.
Your child may also be experiencing stress in the school. For example, they may have stress in dealing with other students in different social situations, getting good grades and peer pressure. Many school age children are resorting to aggressive behaviors such as bullying or fighting, disruptive behaviors such as talking out in class, or acting out in class such as being the “class clown”, making it difficult for them to learn and for teachers to teach them. Schools are all required to give state assessment tests. Pressure is being placed on the student to perform well on these state tests and they are often taking many practice tests throughout the year to prepare them for performance on the state exam. If you child fears test taking and does not have the skills to enable him/her to perform well on test, school may be viewed as a constant stressor. These stressors may cause physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms in your child that you may not realize.
There are also environmental pressures and stressors in their lives such as lack of sleep and exercise, smoking in the household and poor diet that may also contribute to children’s stress.
Children may demonstrate a variety of physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, inability to sleep or excessive sleep, aches and pains. Some emotional symptoms of stress may include: lack of concentration, anxiety, withdrawing from others, crying, depression or aggressiveness. Behavioral changes in children who may be having difficulty with the stress in their lives may include: smoking, grinding teeth, overeating or not caring about their physical appearance.
Once you become concerned about how your child is reacting to stress and how much stressors your child may have to handle, it is suggested that you first listen to your child, talk to your child, allow uninterrupted time with your child and advise them calmly.
There are a variety of alternatives that are available to help your child to cope with stress. Parents need to recognize their child’s needs and help them to learn or teach them how to manage their own stress. Some suggestions that a parent might give to a child to help reduce stress may include: Massage for infants, children and teenagers. A parent may learn basic massage techniques through Infant massage instruction that may be applied for older children as well. Once the basic strokes are taught to the parent, they may do massage as often as needed in their own home with their own child. Some parents or children however, may prefer a therapist to do the massage sessions. Parents need to make sure that their massage therapist has had training to work with children both physically for the massage as well as emotionally. The massage may bring up many concerns and anxiety that the child might have. Massage is also very effective with children who are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and have stress as well as difficulty calming to go to sleep. Children who have special needs such as those with Aspbergers Syndrome or Autism may be experiencing sensory integration concerns and the massage may help them process and integrate the sensory information that they receive from their environment.
Aromatherapy, another helpful alternative, using various oils such as lavender may calm your child before going to sleep at night. You may place a small amount of oils on a pad in their pillow case. Playing soft music (without words) and a dream catcher in their room at night may also help with relaxation prior to bedtime.
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