One more item will be worth adding, as parents work through their lists to be sure their children have everything needed for a brand new school year. Now let me ask you something. How is their mental health? Children are shifted into stress filled situations and environments that will require some adjusting to do well in school, as they move from summer break to school days. Therefore, likewise, whether a child begins assuming more responsibilities indoors, becomes more independent at school, or decides important character problems with friends, an increase in the levels of stress can be expected for everyone involved including the parents.
So this time could also provide a perfect opportunity for preparing the son or daughter to handle future stress.
Their perceptions of classmates, teachers and school work may not match the parents’ view, and any understanding of their problems will remain limited until this gap is bridged.
Parents might be surprised with how the operations of our local schools have progressed in twentyplus years. I know it’s necessary for the parent to see the current school experience through the eyes of today’s students. That said, she agrees that as the adjustment to school progresses, schools and parents will benefit from working gether and from communicating when mostly there’s positive behavior or a concern for the child’s conduct or health.
She places a high value in the strong connection between the home and the school, and has worked with families and schools ward this end of creating successful environments for ‘school aged’ children. Recent addition to the staff of Community Counseling Services, Stephane Stegeman, MA rig, provides mental health services for the elementary schools of Crawford County. Are they complaining about headaches and stomach pains more than usual? Remember, as an example. Parents might also begin noticing falling grades, incomplete homework, or antisocial behavior, similar to lying, stealing, and irresponsibility. Did you hear of something like this before? They seem easily agitated or impatient, or are they frequently tired, right? A well-known fact that is. It’s a well-known fact that the child may have also lost interest in playing sports or in joining group activities. So, are they depressed and closed to discussions about their day, or their feelings? I know that the parents should still see themselves as serving on the front line with their children, a greater part of the child’s day has moved to alternative setting. Certainly, they should be more going to recognize significant changes in the behavior of their son or daughter before anyone else. TAKE NOTES if a negative pattern is developing.
TALK to the teacher about the child’s behavior.
CALL IF HELP IS NEEDED.
Consult a family pediatrician, or the school counselor. Parents can learn how the child is handling the anticipated changes by committing to the following steps. BE INVOLVED in class activities and functions. It’s a well learn what happens in a typical day in class. LISTEN to what he says, and doesn’t say. That said, community Counseling Services is a private, nonprofit organization, supported by the United Way and a contractor of the ADAMH Board of Crawford and Marion counties. Nonetheless, many times, their silence can be a clue to something more. OBSERVE the sources of stress and the child’s reactions to them. Jonathan Suter is the Public Relations Officer for Community Counseling Services in Bucyrus. CCSI is a private, ‘non profit’ organization which has existed for the key goal of providing high quality, professional outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatments for the persons and the families of Crawford and Marion counties.