While academic pressure is a known cause of burnout in children, a clinical psychologist is highlighting a less-discussed but equally potent factor: parental stress. The anxiety and pressure parents feel can directly impact their children, creating a cycle of stress that undermines a child’s ability to cope with school.
Clinical psychologist Meghna Kanwat warns, “Parenting stress and parental burnout themselves have been shown to contribute to children’s academic and learning burnout.” This transmission of stress can happen in various ways. An overwhelmed parent might resort to harsher discipline, have less emotional capacity to be responsive, or inadvertently project their own anxieties about success onto their child.
The solution, Kanwat suggests, begins with parents managing their own well-being. By practicing self-care and stress management, parents can create a calmer, more stable home environment. This allows them to approach parenting with a gentler and more patient mindset, which is crucial, especially when a child is already feeling the weight of academic demands.
A parent who is not burnt out is better equipped to build a strong, supportive relationship with their child. They can engage in open communication, listen with empathy, and nurture resilience without the filter of their own stress. This emotional connection is a powerful antidote to the pressures a child faces outside the home.
Therefore, the advice to “put on your own oxygen mask first” is not just for airplanes; it’s a fundamental principle of sustainable parenting. By prioritizing their own mental health, parents are not being selfish; they are ensuring they have the resources to be the calm, supportive anchor their children need to navigate the challenges of school and avoid burnout.