This is true, even as children get older and more self-sufficient. A Kidshealth.org poll asked older kids what upsets them most, and school, grades and homework ranked first, followed by family life and friends/gossip/bullying. And while talking to their parents ranked eighth as a stress reliever, 75 percent of the kids surveyed said they would feel better if they could talk to their parents about their problems. More than half of the kids surveyed said they used play or exercise to alleviate stress, but up to 25 percent take it out on themselves, hitting their heads, punching things or harming themselves in other ways.

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