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First 5 LA Parents & Family
  • Behavioral Issues
  • Bonding
  • Breastfeeding
  • Child Care
  • Developmental Milestones
  • Disabilities
  • Discipline
  • Fathers
  • Games and Activities
  • Literacy
  • Mental Health
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  • Oral Health
  • Physical Health
  • Ready for School
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STRESS

is a normal part of life, but an excess of stress has an impact on everyone in the family. When parents are stressed, children feel stressed too—even in the womb, babies’ health is negatively affected a mother’s high stress levels. Early stress affects a child’s physical and emotional development, ability to manage behavior, and learning. Taking time to learn to de-stress improves your life—and that of your child.

Ask a Parent Coach

Have a parenting dilemma? You're not alone. We may not have all the answers, but our Parent Coaches are here to offer ideas and fresh approaches to the challenges of parenting. Ask a First 5 LA parent coach a question 
Q. ​Help! I am an overwhelmed mom who needs some de-stressing ideas, and fast…
A. 

Try progressive relaxation. First, start by clenching the muscles in your feet and lower legs as hard as you can. Gradually let your muscles relax just a little bit at a time. Repeat with your upper leg and hip muscles, feeling the tension and then gradual relaxation. Repeat with the muscles in your hands, arms, torso, shoulders, and neck. As you relax one group at a time, your whole body will begin to feel more relaxed and less stressed. Breathe in and out deeply, and try to practice this every day.

See More Stress Q & A  

Featured Articles


Ages and Stages: Stress — and Stress Reduction — from the Start

While stress is hard on adults, it is even tougher on little ones. Experiencing stressful...

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Take a Staycation! Stress Relievers for the Whole Family

Overwhelmed and annoyed? Tired of the daily routine? Need a vacation but don’t...

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Child Development 101: How to Help Infants and Toddlers Cope With Stress

By Marian Williams, clinical psychologist and lead of the Early Childhood Mental...

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Happier Holidays

Happier Holidays

What matters most to your family? In the whirlwind of shopping, cooking and other...

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When Families Grieve

Brought to you by Talk, Listen, ConnectAs a family, you face challenges every day...

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Childhood Grief: Parenting Tips for Coping with Loss

The first time my kids experienced death was when their preschool teacher passed...

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Creating a Disaster Plan

Ready. Set. Plan! It’s easy to forget about the possibility of a disaster striking...

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KeepingYourCoolBlog

5 Steps to Keeping Your Cool

“What’re they doing in there?” my spouse and I wondered as we...

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Articles by Date

Managing “Holiday Stress” for Busy Parents

Is the holiday season really “the most wonderful time of the year,” as the old song says?Well,...

Multigenerational Conflict Resolution

When multigenerational caregiving plays a role in a family, conflicts may come up more often, and...

First 5 LA’s Five-Minute Halloween Costumes for Busy Parents

Too busy to think about a Halloween costume? Never fear, parents — First 5 LA is here to...

Self-Care for Multigenerational Parents

Multigenerational parenting is often satisfying, but it can also be all-consuming. With the...

Multigenerational Parenting: Staying Active

Did you know that the number of children who are obese has almost tripled since the 1970s? It...

STEAM: The Importance of Arts Education

When we think of school and learning, the first things that may come to mind are subjects such as...

Easing Back-to-School Jitters

If you or your child feel a little nervous about the first day of school, you are in good...

Earthquake Preparedness

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), close to 60% of Americans have...

First 5 LA’s Five Yoga Poses for the Whole Family

September is National Yoga Month! Yoga promotes good balance, flexibility and strength. Yoga...

Celebrate a Stress-Free July Fourth

Getting together with friends and family for fireworks, barbecues and parties on Independence...

Spring-Cleaning with Kids – Spark Joy!

Got kids? Got clutter? The two go hand in hand. But if the idea of spring-cleaning with kids...

Mother’s Day Self-Care: Connect with Other Moms

Mother’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate with a little self-care. And what better way...

Demystifying Developmental Screenings and ACEs

Developmental Screenings assess whether your child has or is at risk for developmental delays and...

Connecting and Cutting Back on “Screens”

From cell phones and tablets to laptops and TVs, technology connects us in so many ways. But...

Parenting with Screens: Screen Usage Self-Assessment

Chances are you are reading this on a screen of some sort. Screens are now an integral part of...

DIY Snow Globe Stress Reliever

Watch the mesmerizing swirl in this fun and easy “snow globe,” a great stress reliever and...

First 5 LA’s 5 Ways to Survive Daylight Savings

This year, Daylight Savings Time begins on March 10. Here are some strategies for surviving the...

Talking to Kids about Financial Hardship

According to a recent Federal Reserve survey, about 40 percent of adults in the United States...

First 5 LA Parent to Parent: Stacey Alysson

What’s pink and round and can do Downward Dog? Parker Pig, of course! Parker Pig is the...

Mind & Body: Lower Stress, Get Healthier

Stress makes people sick. Studies show that stressful events lead to physical illness later in...

First 5 LA: Five Ways to Cultivate Mental Wellness

Spotlight on First 5 LA Partners and Current Affairs

Good News for California Families Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed budget for 2018-2019 takes...

Grow As a Parent — and Help Your Family Grow Strong

First 5 LA’s 5 Ways to Get Back on Schedule After a Break

First 5 LA’s 5 Ways to Help Children Feel Safe After National Tragedies

Even if we are not personally affected, knowing about tragic events can be upsetting for...

Immigration Resources

Parents’ fear of detention and deportation has been heightened by recent actions by the federal...

No Bullies Allowed: Raising a Compassionate and Confident Child

Bullying hurts. It also is a symptom and product of stress: Stressed children tend to become...

Your Past, Your Parenting

Does the stress you experienced as a child affect your parenting? It certainly can, according...

Building Resilience: Informed Resources to Decrease Trauma

Echo Parenting & Education Echo Parenting & Education seeks to support childrens’ rights to...

First 5 LA 5 Minutes: Talking to Kids About Terrifying Events

When terrifying, tragic events occur, we may feel helpless, confused, sad, angry…or all of...

Talking to Children About Tragic Events

How can we help children feel safe in the wake of tragic events? For many parents, it is hard...

Traumatic Events: Help for Parents and Caregivers

Whether a traumatic event occurs as close as your community or as far-off as another state, it...

Rising From the Ashes

Fifty years ago this month, a 12-year-old boy looked outside his window at a night sky that was...

The Healing Fields

For Sithary Ly, living in Long Beach over the last 17 years with her husband, Bovannak, life has...

Give Yourself a “Time Out”

Stress can be serious stuff: For babies and young children, experiencing early stress can stop...

Communication is Key in Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

The recent admission of underage sexual abuse by “7th Heaven” actor Stephen Collins may have...

Preschooler Depression Can Have Lasting Impact

When you think about the typical child under the age of 5, it's common to imagine a playful boy...
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“To Sleep, Perchance to Dream”

By Three Under Three I was having one of those stress dreams – you know, the one...

Turning Childhood Trauma Into Helping Children

Traumatic events are life-changing, and move a person down roads that may be limited and shadowed,...

Toxic Stress Among Young Children Can Lead to Serious Implications

Brain development in early childhood is critical and - if influenced negatively by toxic stress -...

Less is More

How much information is too much when it comes to a child's likelihood of contracting certain...

No Excuse for Child Abuse

"Kevin ‘D.J.' King: 5 years old. Blunt force trauma to chest and abdomen."...

Helping Children Cope With Tragedy

Recent distressing and terribly destructive events in Los Angeles County--from shootings to...

Grief Relief

Just before she was to visit with several victims' families from the Newtown, Conn., school...

Child Development 101: The Glass is Half Full

In a recent blog post, Orlando mom Melanie Edwards describes how she taught her young daughter about...

The Day I Let Go

After five years as a working mom, I hit the wall. Actually, the wall hit me. Tired beyond...

Deployments and Child Deaths

It's no secret that long deployments place increased stress on military families, and a recent...

After Tragedies Involving Children, Don't Be So Quick to Blame

In the past week, a few tragic stories involving kids in our community have landed on my radar...

Grieving Assistance Centers - Los Angeles County

Sometimes natural coping skills may not provide the relief needed after a major loss. If you or a...

EXPLAINING MONEY PROBLEMS TO YOUR PRESCHOOLER

First 5 LA Offers Ten Tips to Parents on Handling a Financial Crisis LOS ANGELES----------- The...

Good Beginnings 9: Parents as Their Children's Advocates

When 5-month-old Mason's head became increasingly misshaped, his mother, Jeannette Winkey of...

Child Poverty Increases as Housing Costs Spiral, says Children's ScoreCard

More children in Los Angeles County are living in poverty, increasing 16 percent from 2000 to...

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