Spring Sadness: Your Child

As summer rapidly approaches, your child may experience joy about the end of school mixed with sadness.  Promotion to the next grade level is exciting but may cause anxiety about the new teacher and new classmates as well as leaving the familiar teacher.  Be aware of these mixed emotions and help your child work through the anxiety.  Anxiety can look like sadness, irritability, acting out in school. Some things to think about doing before school is out:

1. Visit the new grade level and look at the classrooms, meet the teachers.
2. Help your child write a story about this year’s good and bad times.  Then add his expectations about next year.  For younger children, have them tell you the story.  Note fears and help your child with these. This could be especially important if your child is moving to a different school.
3. Add play dates this summer with children who may be in the same grade level.  If they are not in the same class, they will have a friend at recess.

How have you helped your child with this sadness?

FIRST SEMESTER BLUES: Scenerio #2

Your child struggled, he was tested by professionals, but you:

Felt that the results did not  reflect your child as you know him;

Felt totally overwhelmed by the results and do not know what to do next;

Agreed with the results, looked to put in place the recommendations but became bogged down;

Agreed with the results, contacted the recommended professionals; found no one you cared to work with;  stopped.

Agreed with the results, contacted the recommended professionals and have things in place.

Which route did you take? Its never too late to get started again!  Find a support person or group to help you move forward.  It can take alot of energy to put a plan in place but it is very important to do so for the sake of your child.  Praying for you…….

Guilt, Goals, and Summer End

 

If you do decide to take a break from tutoring/therapy during the summer, its important to do the following:

1. Ask your therapist/tutor for her opinion.  Consult your doctor if there is a medical condition that requires ongoing therapy. If they agree, then together decide on activities that will help with the goals you all have decided on. Choose fun, realistic ones.
2. Make a commitment to set aside a specific time during the summer days to continue to work on the above activities. Some children lose what they have learned unless reinforced.
3. Have a specific date to begin therapy/tutoring again.  If you don’t, it will be easy to not start again.
4. Make it clear to the therapist/tutor what your plans are for the school year.  Will you pick back up with him/her?  Do you expect to have your old-time slot back? What are their feelings and concerns about “taking a break”?

Communicate, prioritize, and enjoy the summer weeks!

Note: If there is a medical condition that requires continued therapy you must talk with your doctor before discontinuing even for a short time!

 

Guilt and Goals

Every parent and therapist has high expectations for the summer months.  Considered “free months”, we tend to forget about vacations, camps, Vacation Bible School, etc.  that fill up those “free months” very quickly.  As your summer is unfolding and you are dealing with priorities of yours, your children, and the therapist, its important to talk with your therapist/tutor to determine what the goals are for the summer months and how these goals will be achieved. Make sure the goals are realistic for your family and your child.  Have FUN activities that will encourage those goals when you go on your trips.  It might be writing daily in a journal to help with handwriting.  Reading maps or signs along the way to help improve reading skills. Don’t forget travel Bingo to help with reading! Try new iPhone APPS!   Learning always continues though it may be in different ways and not in an office!