Uhh Oh! Its That Time of The Year AGAIN!! Back to School


Yep, It is almost that time of the year again.  Back to the hustle and bustle of life.  I hope you soaked up as much sun rays as you possibly could.  Shout out to all the “soccer ball moms” out there.  It is time to GAS up the Mini Vans and Extended SUV’s.  The beach vacations, camp, late nights are officially OVER!   This time of the year can be very stressful for some families.  Back to School marks the time of the year for transition.  Starting a new grade and/or new school for a child can be terrifying.   See below some ways to cope with academic stress:

Back to school

1. Take time for self-care

Taking time to pause from the relentless pace of everyday life and enjoy creative activities that keep you from dwelling on or stressing over school pressures can go far in decreasing your stress levels.

2. Learn to change your thinking.

When you start stressing about not finishing your project on time, your mind builds a case for why what you believe is going to happen will happen — and this can be paralyzing. So, when combating negative thinking patterns, Stiffelman recommends coming up with specific examples to counter the stressful thoughts. Think instead of concrete ways that you can create the time to work on a project, and how your previous line of thinking isn’t accurate.

3. Take assignments one baby step at a time.

“List what you have going on, and list how much time each thing is going to take,” she suggests. “Chunking things down makes them feel more manageable and less anxiety-inducing.”

4. Lower your goals.

Instead of setting your goal to be getting the highest grade in the class, set a goal to feel satisfied with your performance.

5. Stay balanced during exam periods.

The importance of taking breaks and working in time to relax during your busiest and most stressful periods can’t be overestimated, Stiffelman urges. Not matter how hard you push yourself, nobody can maintain constant focus, and you will burn yourself out if you try. Take frequent, short breaks for fun activities so that you’ll be able to go back to your writing or studying refreshed.

Source: Huffingtonpost.com

Additional Related Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-gail-gross/backtoschool-preparation-tips_b_3654582.html

 

As we all know, back-to-school is the time for change: new clothes, new schools, new friends…..even new enemies.

Bullying is prevalent in many schools, whether it be elementary school or a college institution. It could range anywhere from being harassed for lunch money, to being socially neglected from a group of students going a college party. On ANY level, bullying is unacceptable, yet unavoidable. Even worse, bullying is an ongoing problem which escalates into adulthood if it’s not promptly resolved. As we head back to school in 2010, here are a few tips for parents to consider:

  • Pay attention to your child’s behavior when dropping them off and picking them up from school.
  • Always monitor the academic progress of your child; a drop in grades could mean that your child is being bullied.
  • Look for any frequent physical scars (i.e. cuts, bruises, scrapes, etc.).
  • If your child becomes easily frustrated, distressed, or socially withdrawn from normal social activities (i.e. sudden disinterest in playing with friends.)

Parents should know that sometimes your child is the one doing the bullying. This could lead to future difficulties in coping responses and unsuccessful relationships in the workplace. If your child is the bully, or you suspect your child is bullying others, here are a few things to look for:

  • Sudden accumulation of gifts/toys, etc. (i.e. your child has on a chain they didn’t have before they left for school.)
  • Increase interest academics, despite their disinterest to do schoolwork or study.
  • No interest in sports participation or extracurricular activities after-school.
  • New and unusual aggressive or strange behavior when you tell them “no”, or give them restrictions.

Bullying has to be addressed because it can lead to depression, anxiety and even parent-child relational problemsThe signs of depression in your children are usually different than what you might see in an adult. Also, please be reminded that there has been a documented increase in suicide completion of school-age children as a result of bullying. We also need to watch for “acting-out” behaviors in children. This is usually a cardinal sign that something is going wrong. I have interviewed a couple of children and many feel that they will be punished if they “speak-up.” Parents, please don’t do this to your children. Moreover, don’t automatically believe everything that their teacher(s) may say…ask questions!

Be sure to talk with your children about bullying if you feel they may be a victim or a suspect of it. Also, be sure to talk with the teachers in the school if your child is showing signs.

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