Students feel significant levels of stress about schoolwork as early as elementary school reveals a new survey in Highlights, the children鈥檚 magazine . When asked, 鈥淲hat is your biggest problem right now?,鈥� 23.4 percent of kids ages five and older responded 鈥渟choolwork,鈥� according to 贬颈驳丑濒颈驳丑迟蝉鈥� , which was released September 30.
In addition, 7.2 percent of the children said that, if they had five minutes to talk to the president, they would request he lessen their burdens at school. This was the third most popular response, only trailing 鈥淸the president] is good/excellent/well-liked鈥� and 鈥淸I have] questions about the economy/unemployment taxes.鈥�
The survey, designed to be a national platform for kids to voice about their concerns and experiences, was sent out in subscriber copies of March鈥檚 edition of Highlights, as well as being posted online at . Eight hundred and forty-five responses were included in the final data file for analysis, all coming from children five and older.
In addition to e-mails received by the magazine throughout the year, the survey鈥檚 findings suggest that children today have a high level of anxiety about their performance in school and about completing the schoolwork assigned to them, the authors of the survey said.
鈥淥ne thing is clear, kids are telling us that they feel a significant amount of pressure and anxiety about tests, and about what those tests mean for their future,鈥� Highlights Editor-in-Chief Christine French Clark said.
However, the survey does not indicate whether students鈥� feelings of stress about school have increased over time.
Relationships also appear to pose difficulties for children, as nearly 25 percent of those surveyed named a relationship issue as their biggest problem (in descending order: siblings 8.7 percent, parents 8.1 percent, and friends 7.3 percent). Twenty-five percent of the respondents said they wanted to spend more time with their families, with more nine to 12 year-olds in that cohort than five to eight year-olds.
In an additional sign of childhood stress today, 6.6 percent of the kids surveyed鈥攁nd 9.6 percent of the boys鈥攕aid that, if they had an extra hour in the day, they would use it to sleep.
The survey鈥檚 authors noted that 鈥淲hile it would be typical to hear this from a teenager, to hear it from children younger than 12 was a bit of a surprise.鈥�
Dr. Alanna Levine, a pediatrician consulted about the finding, noted that deprivation in preteens has become a growing health concern.
Teachers Popular
While they may have worries about school, many of the children indicated they have a positive view of their teachers. When asked, 鈥淥ther than members of your own family, who is a person you admire and respect?,鈥� 17.2 percent of the respondents named teachers, second in popularity only to friends. Despite the question鈥檚 phrasing, nearly 13 percent of the kids answered 鈥減arent.鈥� Perhaps surprisingly, celebrities and popular culture figures got less than five percent of the total vote.
In their analysis of that breakdown, the survey鈥檚 authors note 鈥渢hat children learn best through positive examples鈥� We weren鈥檛 surprised to learn that role models kids themselves cite are found closer to home.鈥�
Listening to Children
Meanwhile, the wrap-up question on the survey鈥斺�淲hat should grown-ups know about being a kid today?鈥濃�攅licited some perplexing results. The top two responses, which comprised more than 50 percent of the total, were 鈥淏eing a kid is hard鈥� (28.9 percent) and 鈥淏eing a kid is fun鈥� (21.3 percent).
The report鈥檚 authors propose a possible rationale for that breakdown: 鈥淎midst all the school work and stresses, many children still find their lives enjoyable but would like adults to see that it has its challenges.鈥�
At the release event for the 鈥淪tate of the Kid鈥� results, Highlights Editor-in-Chief Christine French Clark reminded attendees that for adults, it鈥檚 hard to relate to being kids, and that truly listening to kids鈥� opinions is the only way to gain an understanding of their unique perspective on the world.
