Are our kids inheriting our stress?

As a working mom with huge to-do lists, I'm often stressed. And, my kids know it. Sometimes I'll be trying to do a few things at the same time and one of them will say to me, "mom, you looked stressed.'' But after reading an article this weekend, I'm having second thoughts about showing stress in front of my kids.

The article said college kids are so stressed out from everyday worries they are having trouble eating, sleeping and studying. Four in 10 students say they endure stress often and one in five say they feel it all or most of the time. Darker still, one in six have friends who have discussed suicide and one in 10 have considered it themselves.

So what's stressing these students out? Most attribute it to school work and grades, financial problems, relationships and dating, family problems and extracurricular activities. Sadly, college women have a more stressful existence than men, with 45 percent of females and 34 percent of males saying they face frequent stress.

I asked my kids whether they ever feel stressed. Without hesitation they said yes. They told me homework is what stresses them. As a kid, I remember worrying about getting my homework done. But I don't remember feeling "stressed" over it. So, I have to wonder, are kids emulating their parents?

I just started making a point to spend at least ten minutes a day doing something fun for myself ---reading a magazine article, walking around the block, doing a crossword puzzle. Sometimes, I include my kids in the activity, to show them how I unwind. But I wonder which message is stronger. Do you kids are feeling stressed too early in life? Are we doing a good enough job of teaching our children how to cope with stress? Are we doing a good enough job of learning how to deal with our own stress?