Prepping Kids for College Stress
Taking a survey of college students about stress and depression a few weeks before finals seems like a good way to come up with some shocking results. And that’s exactly what is described in this story detailing a poll conducted at 40 U.S. colleges between April 22 and May 4.
And while we might not be surprised to hear that 85 percent of those responding felt “stressed in their daily lives,” a significant number also described feeling “down, depressed or helpless.”
One stat showed a definite connection between emotional well-being and the financial well-being of a student’s parents:
Almost a quarter of those with a parent who had lost a job during the school year showed signs of at least mild depression, more than twice the percentage of those who hadn’t had a parent lose a job. More than twice as many students whose parents had lost a job said they had seriously considered ending their own life, 13 percent to 5 percent.
None of these numbers are off the charts, but they should remind us of a couple of things. One, we can’t see our job as parents to eliminate stress in our kids’ lives. For one thing, it’s impossible. For another, when they leave home they’ll find the same world of stress we have experienced. Instead, we need to teach—and show in our own lives—biblical skills for managing stress and surrendering anxiety to God. (Finding ways to implement Philippians 4:4-8 is a good place to start.)
The other lesson I think these numbers hold for us is that it’s important to our kids to hear from us that we are choosing to find ways to trust God, even when our personal financial numbers aren’t looking so good. Demonstrating stubborn faith in hard times in front of our kids is often healthier for them in the long run than trying to keep tough situations hidden from their view.
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