The pressures facing a first-grader are vastly different from those on a high school junior, and the strategies to prevent burnout must be tailored accordingly. A clinical psychologist offers parents age-specific advice to help children of all ages maintain a healthy balance between academics, play, and rest, ensuring their well-being from primary school through their teenage years.
For primary school children, the focus should be on building a strong foundation of well-being, not just academic skills. Psychologist Meghna Kanwat advocates for a ‘Play-Rest-Learn’ model. “Parents can help by ensuring balanced schedules that include unstructured play, rest, and varied kinds of activity,” she says. This means resisting the urge to overschedule young children with competitive or high-pressure extracurriculars, giving them ample time to simply be kids.
This unstructured playtime is not wasted time; it’s essential for cognitive development, creativity, and emotional regulation. It allows children to explore their world at their own pace, recharge their mental batteries, and develop a love for learning that isn’t tied to performance. Piling on academic responsibilities too early can backfire, leading to stress and a negative association with school.
As children enter secondary school, the challenges shift. While balance is still important, older students also need to develop skills to manage increasing academic demands and social pressures. Kanwat suggests parents should “encourage and teach self-regulation skills,” such as deep breathing or grounding exercises, to help teens cope with stress in a healthy way.
For this older cohort, parents can also introduce the concept of ‘Non-Academic Days’ to ensure they get a complete break from school pressures. Furthermore, helping adolescents reflect on their personal values can ground them, while fostering a supportive connection with their school ensures they have a network of support. By adapting their strategies to their child’s developmental stage, parents can provide effective and relevant support throughout their school journey.