Season 4, Episode 15: How your stress affects your child

When you’re stressed, your kids may be feeling it too — even if they don’t fully understand what’s going on.

Registered social worker Jacqueline Aja Manning joins Living Fully host, Katherine Hurtig to talk about how children pick up on stress at home and how their responses can look different depending on their age. From trouble sleeping and stomach aches to irritability, withdrawal or big emotions, stress can show up in many ways.

Aja shares practical strategies for helping kids manage those feelings, including co-regulation, validating emotions, talking openly about stress and modelling healthy coping skills. They also discuss how parents can reflect on their own responses to stress, strengthen connection with their children and give themselves some compassion along the way.