Stress is a part of the normal process of growing and developing for children. A stress situation is composed of anxiety and stress. If coping strategies are inadequate, depression can result. Four categories of stress include time, anticipatory, situational, and encounter stress. It is important to recognize unsuccessful defense mechanisms employed by children to try to deal with anxiety-provoking situations. These include repression, regression, projection, displacement, reaction formation, rationalization, denial, and identification. It is the child's individual perception that sets the tone and amount of stress in response to a particular event. A variety of techniques have been proven effective in helping children deal with stress, including yoga, deep muscle relaxation, and guided visual imagery. Adults should be aware of the stress in children's lives, and should assist in the development of positive coping strategems. (Appendices include a list of telltale signs of stress in children and two lists of potential stresses in a child's life.) (ABL)