Sharing your stress experiences with your kids demystifies the topic and starts a conversation. Make discussing stress safe and normal.
Sharing your stress struggles shows them that we're all learning. We never achieve perfection—only do our best and learn from our mistakes.
Stress is normal for everyone. Stress isn't always terrible
Naturally, how you talk about stress depends on the child's age. You might tell a small child that you're cranky and need belly breaths to feel better.
Tell a teen you were short because you were anxious and overwhelmed and sorry for not handling your feelings better.
Outside of a direct incidence, discuss stress with your kids to reframe their perceptions and start a conversation. Allow them to speak more to avoid a parental lecture.
Ask straightforward, open-ended questions. You may ask them what's terrifying, how big the problem is on a scale of one to 10, what they can control, etc.