PTA Parent: August 2011

As the bell rings in a new school year, children from kindergarten to high school are making that transition from leisurely summertime activities to a brand-new, sometimes challenging adventure. Child and family therapist Dr. Andrea Weiner offers some advice on easing the transition from summer vacation to school.

Parents can help their kids make a less stressful shift back to the school routine by getting them excited about all the possibilities a new year brings. 

Focus on the Positive
Your child will enjoy the beginning of the school year if you focus on the positive. Talk to your child about the fun activities and new friends he or she will make. For many children, reuniting with old friends they haven’t seen since school’s been out is also a real motivator.

You can also remind your child about the highlights of the previous school year: about being the teacher’s hand-picked helper for a week, receiving an “A” on a difficult spelling exam, or scoring the winning point during a school football game. By allowing your child to focus on past accomplishments, it also encourages him or her to achieve more during the new school year.

Ease into the Routine
Getting back into the swing of school means getting back into a routine. Expect that the first few weeks your might be more tired as they get used to the earlier hours and the amount of work they now have to do. Having well-rested children is key to reducing the stress of changing from summer hours to school hours. Therefore,parents need to establish guidelines for bedtime.

Help younger children practice a back-to-school routine by doing dry runs for a week or so before school starts. This practice should include such things as going to bed at a certain time, getting up and dressing, and eating breakfast by a specific time. Continue the routine after school starts until they have adjusted to the new schedule and are comfortable with it.

Help Them Adjust to Workload
Another major obstacle in a child’s back-to-school transition is feeling stressed about the educational workload in the upcoming year. Many children worry about whether they will be able to handle the harder subjects that come with entering a new grade. Assure your child that you and the teacher are there to assist her or him.

Another way you can help is by discussing the effects of effort versus performance. Stressing the importance of excellent effort instead of grades can alleviate early fears of not doing well academically. 

Practice Social Skills
For many children, the new school year means having to make new friends in a new grade or even a new school. If your child has trouble making new friends, you can role-play different conversation openers that can help them break down awkward barriers. One such “ice-breaker” could be “I like your new backpack! Where did you get it?” Practicing conversation skills around the dinner table is another way for children to become more confident in making new friends.

Every year, the back-to-school transition provides children with an opportunity to build on each prior year’s lessons on how to deal with change. Transitions do not have to be difficult. By setting a positive tone, establishing a routine, relieving the pressure of the academic workload, and practicing social skills with children, parents can ensure the new school year starts off on a high note!

Dr. Andrea “Andie” Weiner, a child therapist and author of The Best Investment: Unlocking the Secrets of Social Success for Your Child. For more information on Weiner, go to http://drandie.com.

How to Validate Your Teen’s Feelings

When your teenager is feeling troubled about something, parents often say things like “Don’t feel that way,” or “Don’t make it such a big deal.” Your comments are well-intentioned, but you may actually be making things worse. Sue Blaney, author and publisher of ParentingTeensInfo.com, discusses what a more effective response might be.

Blaney says there are a couple of things going on in this situation. First, parents often want to help their children by giving advice, but that isn’t always the type of input your teenager needs—s/he might not want your advice at that time. Solving your teenager’s problems for her may rob her of the opportunity to develop those skills herself.

Next, parents find it difficult to see their kids feeling upset. While they can’t take their teen’s pain away, they can make it worse by telling them that what they are feeling is really “no big deal.” To a teenager, what he’s feeling may be a very big deal! Diminishing those feelings can be perceived as a put-down. Besides, it’s a helpful life lesson for kids to learn that life comes with ups and downs. Learning to weather the storms teaches them resilience and patience.

The best approach is simply to respect and validate your teenager’s feelings, Weiner says. Reflect back to her what she expresses, and say something like, “Oh, that must make you feel really angry!” or “I can see why that’s frustrating to you!” That kind of validation is often appreciated. If you’re not sure if your teenager wants your advice, ask him directly: “What would you like from me right now? Do you want me to share my thoughts or just listen?”

Sometimes all that is needed is someone to listen and to make the teen feel heard. Weiner says doing this demonstrates respect and can actually improve a parent’s relationship with their teen.

Sue Blaney, award-winning author and speaker, publishes 2 Minute Tips for Parenting Teens each Friday at ParentingTeensInfo.com.

National PTA Expands Common Core State Standard Training

National PTA is continuing its push for national education reform and its commitment to ensuring that all children are prepared for college and career by expanding its training on the Common Core State Standards into Delaware and Michigan and, for the first time, educating advocates in local school districts.

Learn more.

Parent Guides Support Children’s Education

Parents can gear up for the school year by downloading National PTA’s series of Parents’ Guide to Student Success for grades K–8 (high school guides for English and mathematics). The guides, developed in response to the Common Core State Standards in English and math that more than 40 states have adopted, help parents support their child’s learning.  

In addition to the guides, which can be downloaded from PTA.org/parentguides, parents can find advice and back-to-school help at Back to School Central. Content is arranged under four categories:

• Back-to-School Preparation
• Nutrition
• Homework Help and Study Skills
• Parent Involvement and Communication

Consumer Reports Warns of Desk Lamp Recall

National PTA and Consumer Reports have partnered to provide you with monthly safety tips and product recalls alerting you of possible dangers in your school or home.

August Safety Tip
As you begin to prepare for the new school year, having a lamp on your child’s desk can come in handy for late-night reading and school projects. Recently, Circo Children’s Task Lamps have been found to be hazardous. These desk lamps may overheat, causing the adhesive inside the lamp socket to melt and enter to the bulb area of the socket. The cooled glue can stick to the light bulb base and make the bulb difficult to remove. Attempts to remove the bulb can result in a broken light bulb, posing a risk of laceration to consumers. Melted flammable glue that enters the electrical components of the lamp also poses a fire risk.  Four styles of the children’s task lamp are included in this recall.  Visit the Click Check and Protect website for more information on this recall.  For information on other recalls and safety information, visit ClickCheckandProtect.org.

Proud National Sponsor Message

Promethean Will MATCH YOUR FUNDS!

For the 2011–2012 school year, PTAs can support their schools in a meaningful way by raising funds to acquire state-of-the art classroom equipment for students!

Promethean, a Proud National Sponsor of PTA, will match the amount raised by the PTA, up to $3,800, towards the purchase of any combination of qualifying ActivClassroom products. Qualifying products include select Promethean interactive whiteboards (ActivBoards), award-winning student assessment devices (ActivExpression, ActiVote), and ActivSlates for use in the classroom.

If your school is raising funds for interactive classroom technology this school year, please visit PrometheanWorld.com/PTA for full details on Promethean’s matching funds promotion!

A minimum of $200 must be raised through your PTA’s fundraising efforts to take advantage of this promotion.

Member Benefit Provider Message

Just in time for back to school, National PTA and OfficeMax^® have partnered to bring exclusive savings to all PTA members.

Start by saving on supplies, furniture, ink, toner, and OfficeMax ImPress^® Print Center services, and stock up on all your back-to-school essentials, like backpacks, notebooks, art supplies, and more. Simply visit our member benefits page for complete details and to print out your August coupon.

Then look for continued offers throughout the year—all designed to help you and your kids stay supplied!