Are We Putting Our Little Girls Under Stress?

The last thing we would ever want is to see our little girls under any form of stress. Unfortunately, this is the case of most 10-16 year olds, a study conducted by a voluntary organisation has revealed.

Regular examination at school and less time with their family is putting girls under undue performance stress, which goes up manifold to meet family expectations, a study published by Girl guiding UK and the Mental Health Foundation has said.

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The findings were the result of a discussion between girls and a panel of child specialists.

What came out of the discussion, were the enormous demands and high expectations placed on girls. Efforts to meet parental expectations left them with very little time for their families. Quality time with the families was extremely crucial for building emotional intelligence and strength.

"You can't relax - there's always another set of exams around the corner," said one troubled participant. They preferred to patronise internet networking websites and discussion forums to vent out their frustration.

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Adults must own up their responsibilities as role models, and ensure their girls are emotionally strong. Mere stress on academics may not groom them for the harsh realities of modern day living.

Denise King, chief executive of Girl guiding UK, said: "Young girls today face a new generation of pressures that leave too many suffering stress, anxiety and unhappiness. All of us who care about young women have a part to play in helping them find a way through these conflicting demands to build the confidence they need to be themselves."

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Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "Modern life is changing the face of girlhood as we know it. We cannot turn the tide on developments and so adults need to understand the pressures that girls today are experiencing in order to best support them."

Source-Medindia
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