What Shapes Your Child’s Ability to Cope with Stress

Kids don’t choose to be stressed—their brains and bodies are just reacting. If a child’s stress system is switched on too often or for too long, you might see big emotions, low frustration tolerance, avoidance, tummy aches, sleep disruptions, or behaviour that seems “naughty” but is actually their way of coping. We’ll talk through how stress affects a child’s developing brain, nervous system, and behaviour, and why some children are extra sensitive—whether it’s their temperament, neurodiversity, past experiences, family pressures, or unmet sensory or emotional needs.

We’ll clarify the difference between normal stress and distress, help you spot common warning signs, and talk about why routines, strong relationships, and parenting with emotional connection can really protect kids. You’ll get simple, actionable ways to create more stability, ease overwhelm, and support your child’s regulation during everyday moments—like mornings, school drop-off, homework, bedtime, transitions, and tricky situations.

You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of your child’s stress responses, plus ideas for bringing more calm and structure into your routines, building stronger connections, and recognizing when it might be time to seek extra support.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this webinar, you’ll be able to:

• Recognise how stress can show up in your child—including understanding their behaviour as a way of communicating.
• Spot signs your child is feeling overloaded—whether it’s in their body, emotions, behaviour, sleep, or attention.
• Identify what tends to ramp up stress for your child—like changes in routine, transitions, uncertainty, sensory overload, or family stress.
• Use practical co-regulation strategies to help a child return to a calm state.
• Create a home environment that helps your child feel safe, secure, and better able to cope.
• Know when it might be time to look for extra help, and what support could involve.

Parent engagement activity (during the webinar)

During the session, you’ll do a quick “Stress Snapshot” activity:

• Identify the top 3 situations when stress shows up for their child.
• Map early warning signs (body signs + behaviour shifts)
• Choose 2 stabilising strategies to trial this week (one routine-based, one connection-based)

You’ll also draft two ready-to-use phrases for high-stress moments (one to validate, one to guide/limit-set).

Join provisionl psychologist Jess Friedman ( A Psychologist Student) to dig deeper into what’s really behind your child’s behaviour—and discover simple, compassionate ways to build stability, reduce overwhelm, and support your child’s coping skills every day.