Stress happens: How parents can help their children cope

Whenever there is an adverse childhood experience (ACE) — divorce, death of a loved one, or violence in the community, just to cite a few examples — the child can have long‐lasting damage to the brain, and to physical and mental health. Don't believe it when you hear “kids are resilient,” the American Academy of Pediatrics notes. Thanks to the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we know that diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, substance use disorders, and other diseases are much more common in adults who had ACEs during childhood.