The Age of Stress: Children Under Pressure

Sibling Rivalry: Source of Stress (03:25)
Does a level of stress prepare children for the adult world? A younger sister who is bright is nevertheless threatened by her older brother's even greater intelligence.

Test Anxiety (03:37)
Expectations run high on the day a group of 8-year-olds take their first formal exams. In England, children take nearly 100 formal tests before the age of 18.

Stress Outside the Classroom: Bullying (03:03)
From his earliest days in school, a young boy has been troubled by bullies. His mother, also bullied as a child, carries lifelong emotional scars. What are the effects of years of bullying behavior towards children?

Children and Adversity (04:39)
A young boy already believes most of the world is against him. Eve, the same age, is optimist as a rule. When her mother gets cancer, Eve has nightmares, but she eventually takes a more balanced attitude towards her mother's illness.

Children Read Emotions (02:48)
Children observe external signs of stress in their parents. How well can they identify their parents' emotions? Most male children find it difficult to read subtle emotions in their parents. Eight-year-old Eve picks up her mother's emotions accurately.

Twin Boys: Interdependence (04:54)
Twin boys feel differently about their closeness to each other. One boy has always catered to his brother, while the other has been more independent. On the eve of an operation, the more dependent twin wants to play a supportive role.

Stage fright and Test Anxiety (03:35)
A young girl experiences anxiety about school, but overcomes her stage fright to perform a violin solo in front of parents. Prior to her SAT exams, the child expresses a defeatist attitude though she understands the importance of doing well.

Single Mother and Four Boys (04:38)
A single mother raises four boys by four different fathers. Going back to school affects her health adversely. Eight-year-old Ruben joins the church choir to spend more time with his mother.

Pets and Children (02:09)
Pets can work wonders for lonely children. A child who is bullied at school is not looking forward to returning to school in the fall.

Humor. Laughter, and Stress (05:14)
Laughter raises endorphin levels that help reduce blood pressure and anxiety. Parents can influence a child's "funny bone" and can teach children how to rise above adversity with humor.

Childhood Achievement (03:40)
A single mother of 4 hopes to relieve her stress and provide one of her sons an opportunity to attend a boarding school. His singing voice is the key to getting him admitted to the Westminster school.

Children Face Challenges (03:10)
Children demonstrate how they deal with stress and challenges.

A Child's Compassion (04:16)
Returning to school after the summer holidays poses new challenges for 8-year-olds in a special long-term study of children. Some demonstrate they have gained confidence. A brother waits while his twin is in surgery.

Successful Audition (02:18)
An 8-year-old boy learns that his audition for a scholarship to Westminster Abbey school is a success.

Children and Grief (05:43)
A child deals with the terminal illness of her mother. She is a confident child who continues to be successful at school. At school she expresses her feelings in a group and in her private diary.