Children as young as six may be picking up on stress at home more than parents realise as families navigate the added cost of half term, new research suggests.
A study from children’s wellbeing platform Super Chill found children are around 60% more likely than parents realise to say family problems or money worries are among their biggest sources of stress.
Around one in eight children said family problems or money worries are a major concern for them, compared with fewer than one in 12 parents who believed finances or family pressures were troubling their child.
The findings come as many households face extra spending during half term on childcare, food, activities and days out.
Super Chill said children often absorb stress at home even when adults try to shield them from financial worries, with concerns sometimes showing up through changes in behaviour, withdrawal or reluctance to ask for things.
Geert Pelsma, CEO of Super Chill, said: “Half term can be brilliant for children, but it can also bring changes in routine, busier homes and extra pressure for families.
“Our research suggests children are often aware when something feels stressful at home, even if adults are trying to shield them from it.
“At Super Chill, we are focused on helping children manage those everyday feelings before they become overwhelming. Simple check-ins, breathing exercises and conversation prompts can give children a way to name what they are feeling and give parents a better sense of what is going on.
“Children do not always need big explanations. Often, they need calm reassurance, routine and small moments where they feel heard.”
The research also found friendships and schoolwork remain among the biggest day-to-day worries for children, with more than one in three saying friendships worry them most and almost three in ten citing schoolwork.
Super Chill is a free, ad-free children’s wellbeing platform designed to help children better understand and express how they are feeling through emotional check-ins, guided calming exercises and conversation-starting Chat Cards.
