In the 2014 journal called The journal of Health and Social Behavior the researchers found very significant health issues and problems as well as mental health issues related to the social environment of children. Children that had parents whom were incarcerated displayed more behavioral and mental health issues than parent’s of divorced or separated families. Children of parents that were in prison also displayed more behavioral issues like ADHD than even the death of a parent according to expert sociologist in this study.

Children are not only stressed about their parents being incarcerated they also are dealing with mental health issues and stigmas that are negative related to being incarcerated.  Children with parents in prison had  been associated with ADHD, ADD, Conduct disorders, learning disabilities, speech and or language problems, and other developmental delays. These behavior l issues could be brought on by mental stress and economic stress as well.

This research gives compelling evidence that a stressful life event can impact children in a wide array of negative ways. Past research shows: divorce, loss of family member, and other stressors have a huge impact on children and adults. Managing stress is vital for children to have success academically, socially, and for employment in the future.

Stress is a response to any situation or factor that creates a negative emotional or physical change or both. People of all ages can experience stress. In small quantities, stress is good — it can motivate you and help you be more productive. However, excessive stress can interfere with life, activities, and health. Stress can affect the way people think, act, and feel.

Children learn how to respond to stress by what they have seen and experienced in the past. Most stresses experienced by children may seem insignificant to adults, but because children have few previous experiences from which to learn, even situations that require small changes can have enormous impacts on a child’s feelings of safety and security. Learning stress management and mood regulation techniques is vital for all chidden because stress does build no matter what life you have.

Pain, injury,divorce, bullying,academic stress, and illness are major stressors for children. Medical treatments produce even greater stress. Recognition of parental stress (such as that seen in divorce or financial crisis) is a severe stressor for children, as is death or loss of a loved one.

Child stress and sleep,

There are many components that impact your child and sleep: exposure to tv, electronics, video games, stress, diet, negative cognitions and thoughts, past trauma, school, performance, peers, family relationships, divorce and more.

While a stressful event can lead to a bad night of sleep, it’s what you do in response to stress that can be the difference between a few bad nights and chronic insomnia..

Research studies state that positive reframing, acceptance and humor are the most effective coping strategies for people dealing with failures

Positive reframing was helpful for students high in perfectionistic concerns is particularly important because it suggests that even people high in perfectionistic concerns, who have a tendency to be dissatisfied no matter what they achieve, are able to experience high levels of satisfaction if they use positive reframing coping when dealing with perceived failures.

Reframing is a resiliency skill that helps people to overcome adversity and reach life goals.  Remember the old metaphor “Is the glass is half-full or half-empty?”  This is a perfect example of how the same event can be looked at in a positive or negative light. Positive reframing means trying to reconsider things in a positive light, and it is a powerful way to transform your thinking. Positive reframing does not change the situation, but it can certainly reduce damage and put things into a healthier perspective.

When you are experiencing positive emotions like joy, contentment, and love, you will see more possibilities in your life. These findings were among the first that suggested positive emotions broaden your sense of possibility and open your mind up to more options.

Finding ways to build happiness and positive emotions into your life — whether it is through meditation, writing, playing a pickup basketball game, or anything else — provides more than just a momentary decrease in stress and a few smiles.

Periods of positive emotion and unhindered exploration are when you see the possibilities for how your past experiences fit into your future life, when you begin to develop skills that blossom into useful talents later on, and when you spark the urge for further exploration and adventure.

To put it simply: Seek joy, play often, and pursue adventure. Your brain will do the rest.

Children and teens are more stressed out then their parents according to the latest research done by The American Psychological Association. Thousands of children and teens were surveyed and they state they are overwhelmed, depressed, and stressed out at that school was the main source of their stress and depression.

Over forty percent of teens reported feeling angry and irritable over the past month. Over eighty percent of teens stated school was the main significant source of stress in their life. Over 32 percent of children and adolescents experiencing headaches, 21 percent reported upset stomach or indigestion and 23 percent had skipped a meal because of stress.

What’s behind the rise is uncertain. Theories include economic distress, dysfunctional families, absent and preoccupied busy parents, technology obsession, social media and extraordinary pressure on kids to excel.

Less than twenty percent of teens and children exercised one time per week. Exercise is the biggest component to stress reduction and mood regulation and has been researched . Children and teens are spending most of their day with electronics and this is not good at all for stress. Children and adolescents are consumed with: Facebook, texting, you tube, anime, video games, black ops, internet, tv, grand theft auto, zelda, league of legend, mine craft, Halo, netflix, instagram, and are not getting outside to exercise . Setting boundaries and limits and structure is vital for a child’s physical and mental health.

There are many components that contribute to a child’s stress. School academic performance is a big piece however peer relationships and friendships are also a huge component too. Finding quality positive friends that are healthy and display healthy behavior is vital for a child or teenager. Most adolescents and children are not getting enough sleep. Technology: computers, cell phones, video game players, xbox, ps3-4 and tv in their rooms is the biggest offender of sleep. Research shows stress and irritability increase with inadequate sleep. Children and teens are texting throughout the night and quality sleep is diminished.

Poor diets also are contributing to stress. Children are skipping breakfast as well as lunch. Children are sipping down energy drinks with caffeine in them and this is no substitute for a healthy daily diet.

Children and teens are isolating and hiding in their rooms and this isolation is contributing to stress, depression, and anxiety. LifeworksAZ looks at a wide array of elements that are impacting a child and family and creates a plan for balance and success in your child’s life.

Anger is an emotion we all have however it is when it is out of balance
and misdirected where we have the biggest problem. It can impact our
relationships , family,
work, friends, roommates, classmates and more. Anger is not an emotion
that should be stuffed or repressed however it is important to learn how
to identify anger.
It is essential to become aware of what is going on that is triggering
the anger. What need or frustration or pain is below the anger?

Parents can learn to remain calm when angry and can model appropriate
behavior for children. Teaching children healthy anger management or
stress management skills
is very important for mood regulation and healthy communication. Be
consistent with rules and violation of family rules. This is very
important. Consistency in behavior
change is very important.

Children can learn to express feelings in healthy ways without having a
tantrum, screaming, yelling, and getting aggressive etc. There are many
ways to channel frustration
and manage anger for children and teenagers. Your child can learn
appropriate and healthy behaviors at home as well as at school for their
irritable moods. Finding out the
root cause of the behavior is very important. Is the behavior out of
fear, to punish the parent, out of power, control, revenge, fear of
abandonment, needing attention deeply?

Compliment and affirm positive behaviors and set limits for unhealthy
behaviors with natural consequences to follow.Explain why the behavior
is not “ok”. For example it is
not ok to hit your sister. Hitting people is not an appropriate way to
express your anger. If you are upset about your sister you need to talk
about it with your mom or Dad and we
will figure out how to handle it however hitting is not ok.

Teach your child empathy and the ability to see someone else’s
perspective. Have your child understand where the other person is coming
from and explain it to them. Maintaining open
communication with your child is important. Letting them know they can
talk to you at any time within reason and listening so they really feel
heard is very important.

Lifeworks AZ has a specialty area working with children, teens and
families. For more info go to lifeworksaz.com. Lifeworksaz.com has
worked with children and teens in :
Scottsdale, Phoenix, Glendale, Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Paradise
Valley, Goodyear, Buckeye, and throughout valley wide.

Fighting test cheating is big business with the advances in technology . There are concerns such as wirelessly transmitting questions outside of an exam and hacking into the computer based tests .

Over 1.8 million children took the ACT a national college placement exam taken by high school students . The test will be computer based starting in 2015.

Test takers have used advanced technology to download questions or capture their images with digital cameras or other devices while taking a test and then they transmit them wirelessly outside of a testing room. These questions can end up for sale on various web sites.

Major testing companies like CTB/Mcgrawhill are developing security software to sell to schools and licensure boards to protect them from cheating .

Computer based exams are expanding rapidly . We are using technology for a large majority of life activities and this is why tests are becoming more computer based as well .

Wireless technology where students that are cheating have reached people outside of the classroom during a test has been a threat to test taking .

An Individual recently used a tiny video camera in his glasses to transmit questions on a drivers test to a person outside the test room who then was able to relay the correct answers for the test via a small earpiece .

Many educators in high schools prefer pencil and paper testing and are opposed to computerized tests due to : hacking , and the ability to cheat through technology .

Teaching children to be honest is important and that shortcuts will not help them in the long run . Cheating does not pay !

Lifeworks Az works with children , teens and families to create health and success in life . Contact lifeworksaz.com to set up an appointment .

ASU can do a much better job of hiring individuals who are passionate and who are connected to ASU Arizona State University…those that care about the institution.

Danny white is an example and there are so many other ASU alumni who are not involved in ASU sports. ASU can have traditions like Ohio State or USC if ASU will take the time to dedicate a concentrated effort on working with and connecting to students and Alumni. It needs to be more than a simple ASU magazine to keep ALumni excited about the University.. networking …….is key.

ASU has become so big and has lost touch with their strong Alumni base. Social networking and events that are not just based on fund raising can build a sense
of community at Arizona State University.

I have seen many universities do a much better job than ASU. This will build sports programs and educational programs and create success at ASU.

Granted many non alumni do great things for ASU however there is a lack of community at ASU and this has been this way for years!

Teens are stressed about school and academic performance as well as social issues and friendships. Children and teens report they are more stressed than parental perceptions report.

It appears that the recession and finances are a big component for stress and it impacts the child or teens.

Parents can focus on activities that build communication and bonding among family members without having to spend money. Playing board games or sports, taking walks, building things, going for a hike, to the park, bike riding etc

Research shows that Tv can be stressful to children and teens. Research shows that children and teens that watch tv in significant amounts have higher blood pressure then those children and teens that do not watch tv.

Tv provides stressful programming and advertising triggers unhealthy snacking.

Limits and boundaries must be set with technology for a child or teens health and this includes:
cell phone , texting , tv , Internet , my space , facebook , video games , x box, and you get the idea.

Children and teens need exercise and activity that is not provided via technology.
Adolescents need to develop social skills and life skills and this can not happen via technology.

Children and teen stress are inevitable in life. Parents can model stress management skills that will be helpful for children and teens.

Children and Teens should set a side time to relax. This means time without : internet, TV, Cell Phone, video games etc. A child can listen to soothing music and use diaphramatic breathing as well progressive relaxation and visualization techniques to relax. Taking 15-30 minutes a day is very important for your child and adolescents health.

Solid sleep is vital for children and teens. Poor sleep creates too much of the chemical cortisol. Too much cortisol in the brain and body is not the elemnt needed to fight or manage stress.

Eating a healthy balanced diet is vital for stress management for children, teens, adolescents, and adults. A diet that has lots of vegetables and fruits in it is beneficial.

One of the best remedies for stress is daily exercise: walking, running, basketball, biking, swimming, lifting weights, martial arts, dancing…exercise exercise exercise is VITAL.

Parents can set limits on technology: facebook, myspace, texting, cell phone use, psp, video game playing, internet, Television….Setting bondaries and limits is one of the ebst things a parent can do to create health for their children and teens.