hablo espanol THIS MONTH........ SEPTEMBER IS BACK TO SCHOOL MONTH. The return to school can be a stressful experience for children and parents. Everyone experiences the usual rush for school supplies, attempts to finish the summer reading list, and balancing the family budget to purchase new sneakers and clothes. Beyond that are the concerns about a parent's level of involvement and a student's academic performance. Studies have shown that parental involvement in a student's school experience ensures increased academic success for that student. As the curriculum increases and yearly statewide aptitude tests become more the norm, parents have had to take up the slack when teachers do not have sufficient time to teach "the subject" rather than 'the test." Now, teachers and parents share the stress of student success in an ever demanding academic milieu. The partnership between teachers and parents has become more demanding for parents. Parents often feel they are expected to "do well" in school despite the fact that their children's performance is what is being graded,not theirs. Parents are concerned that their children might fall behind or that they themselves might be judged according to their children's performance. Yet, with the daily demands of job, household and community, it is difficult for parents to continually provide their children with the level of academic support each parent feels is necessary. The stress parents experience due to this conflict is often passed down to their children. Children want to make their parents proud and all desire academic success. All students compare themselves to their peers, their siblings, and how they perceive their parents were as students. To many, academic success comes easy. However, to an increasing number of children, academic difficulties, whether slight or large, impede their success. In combination, these factors can cause a level of stress in children that equals that felt by their parents. In response, the key word here is "REDUCE." Reduce the demands. Reduce the comparisons. Reduce the unreal expectations. REDUCE THE STRESS. Scheduling homework and break time is a simple approach to reducing the daily academic related stress. Allowing for error is a second way. Parents and children should share "play time" which should be balanced against academic practice. Avoid fighting over homework, projects or studying. This works to decrease the stress shared by parents and their children. Use both school and outside resources to look for parent support groups and academic assistance for children. If this aid is not sufficient, seek counseling. This academic related stress, and the conflicts it can produce, are easily remedied when the right intervention is applied. |