Autumn 2010
I hope you have all been enjoying a wonderful summer!
Now that Labor Day is upon us, many of our children are back in school. Some won't begin until next week, but parents everywhere have been very busy with the shopping and other preparations. The whole "back to school" phenomenon can be exhausting and expensive.
What does it mean for parents? Well, that depends on your situation.
If you're a working parent, it can mean a change from summer child care schedules and perhaps a reduction in expenses. If you're a stay at home parent, it can mean a few hours of peace and quiet during the day.
What does it mean for children?
For a youngster starting kindergarten, it is a strange new world. Even for kids who have a lot of daycare experience, the more structured kindergarten environment can be challenging. At the very least, it will probably mean of change of building and a change of time schedules. Friends from daycare/preschool may not be in the same school or classroom. New friendships and new routines will need to be established. There may be some familiarity if the after school program is at the old daycare facility.
It's important to watch out for extra fatigue in the first few weeks. Kindergarten kids are very busy little ones during the school day, so having enough sleep every night is very, very important. Good nutrition is important as well. Most kindergartens have a couple of snack times throughout the day in addition to the lunch period. Be sure to plan those nourishing lunches and snacks for the entire week to make it easier on yourself and your child, regardless of the child's age.
For kids starting back in familiar surroundings, the routine is more normal. Yes, they'll have a new teacher and some new classmates, but that adjustment is not usually a problem. Some issues of separation anxiety may become obvious, especially in very young children. Problems may occur with changes of building and "moving up" from elementary school to middle school or from middle to high school.
The transition to middle school is often the most challenging. There can be a wide range in the emotional readiness of children entering the 5th and 6th grades which are usually the beginning grades in middle school. Friendships and cliques develop which may be very different from previous groupings.
At these ages, both boys and girls become conscious of more competition among their classmates. This can take place not just in athletics, but in academic areas as well. Popularity becomes a major issue. Having the right clothes, the right electronics, the right interests all become very important. Sometimes that's difficult for parents to understand, but most of you will be familiar with it by this time.
If your child is starting high school this year, it's very important to be aware of how he or she is adjusting. If your child is continuing with a solid group of friends, that will make things easier at the start. If the high school is a consolidation of a number of middle schools, there will be a entirely new peer group with which to integrate. Keep alert for adjustment difficulties after the first few weeks of school when the academic routine is well settled.
Usually between the end of September and the middle of November, there are teacher conferences or a parents' night event. Be sure to attend these events, even if your child discourages it. It is important to meet the teachers, read the student handbook and be familiar with the building itself. All parents know that kids don't always bring home the notices of upcoming events that might interest or involve parents.
Today most schools have websites, some of which are very complete and helpful. Please make every effort to check the website frequently for messages from teachers, homework information, school bulletins, etc. Some websites are so complete that you can access your child's daily records.
And speaking of cyberspace, be sure to monitor any social networking sites that your child has access to. Keeping an eye on these communications can help you to fend off serious problems if there is any evidence of those. Cyberbullying is one of the areas requiring extra parental vigiliance. The meaness increases in the middle and high school years.
Extra curricular activities are very important and become much more elective in the middle and high school grades. Encourage your child to participate in those activities that interest him or her, but try to help them to choose wisely and not to overload their schedules.
Academic problems may arise early in the school year, or not until later. If such issues impede your child's learning, please seek out the guidance counselor and school psychologist. They can convene a team to help determine what extra help may be needed by your child.
For emotional issues beyond the scope of the school team, contact a licensed psychologist who has expertise in working with children and adolescents. It's better to explore these issues as early as possible, but it's also important to know that children at the tween and teen age often think that only their friends can help and understand them. There's no doubt that good friends are very valuable, but there's no substitute for good professiional help. If your child had a broken arm, you would certanily make the decisiion about medical help. The same reasoning applies to emotional help.
Have a great school year with your child. If problems develop:
Please don't hesitate to contact either of my northeastern Pennsylvania offices located at:
1319 Purdytown Tpk, Hawley PA 18428 Phone: 570-226-4022
or
336 S.State St,Clarks Summit PA 18411 Phone: 570-587-9067
or
email me at kvennie@kvpsych.com
Kathryn L. Vennie MS
Clinical Psychologist
PO Box 37
Hawley PA 18428-0037
Jan. 28, 2009