Back-to-school anxiety
Question: Every year my children and I have a fantastic summer. Then the first week of school comes, and their anxiety level suddenly rises to very high levels. How can we avoid this?
Answer: Parents can make back-to-school time less traumatic by clearing their schedules, so they can focus on being there for their children. The less parents have to do at home and on the job, the more relaxed they will be.
Children tend to be especially anxious if they are attending a new school or have had bad experiences the previous year. This is the time for parents to be calm, positive and reassuring. They also need to be careful not to overreact to problems that pop up in the first days and help their children develop coping strategies. If their children have been bullied or teased the previous year, their new teachers need to know about this during the first days of school to stop it from happening again.
Parents can also make the start of school more comfortable for their younger children by arranging play dates for them during the first weeks of school. This helps them rebuild social relationships with their classmates.
Too much TV for kids
Question: The TV is on in our house most of the day, but our young toddlers don’t watch it much of the time. Is this truly bad for them? All we ever hear about are the negatives of young children watching TV. Aren’t there any positives?
Answer: Shut your TV off. Hearing TV in the background results in toddlers doing less talking and less listening to others talk. You’ll clearly see this if you observe them playing while the TV is on.
You really should follow the TV viewing guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Academy strongly recommends that children do not view TV until they are age 2. After that, the Academy suggests no more than two hours a day. These are sensible guidelines for parents to follow and really allow for a lot of TV viewing. You must understand that most of the day in early childhood needs to be devoted to active play to maximize intellectual development. Just think of all the other opportunities to experience the world that your toddlers are missing while watching TV.
There are other downsides to watching too much TV at a young age. Some current research shows that, later on, you can expect many children to have poorer achievement in math in school and to be less physically active. They are also likely to consume more junk food than those who have watched less TV.
Early TV watching has been completely demonized by most child-development experts. However, there actually are some positive benefits for preschoolers who watch programs with a strong educational content. Later on, these children might read more and get better grades. Unfortunately, most children are not watching primarily educational programs.
Teacher job-sharing
Question: My son will have two teachers sharing the job as his second-grade teacher. One will teach Monday and Tuesday, and the other on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and the next Monday, Tuesday. Then their schedules will reverse. Is this a common practice? What are the chances of my child having a good year?
Answer: Sharing a teaching job is becoming more common in elementary school. Some school districts are encouraging this arrangement to save money. Others are primarily using it to let teaching mothers have more time at home with their children. Schools find that job-sharing results in a reduction of sick days taken and absenteeism — a benefit to the school and the children.
Most teachers are very enthusiastic about job-sharing. They say that the children get the benefit of two fresh teachers. And they feel that fewer children slip between the cracks because two teachers are observing the students. They also see benefits in the children being exposed to different instructional styles.
Job-sharing may occur in the pattern that you mention, or the teachers may each teach a half-day. In either case, the key to success lies in the communication between the teachers. Most communicate by e-mail, notes, journals and phone calls. They also hold joint parent/teacher conferences. Half-day teachers often have the benefit of an overlap time at lunch.
How successful the year will be for your son depends on the compatibility, cooperation and partnership of the two teachers. There will be problems, unfortunately, if the communication between the teachers is not good.
A lunchbox secret
Parents: One aspect of packing lunches that is very important is keeping the food safe for your children to eat. Before beginning to pack a lunch, be sure your hands are clean and that you are packing the food in a clean container. Use thermoses for hot foods and cold packs to keep food cold. One trick is to freeze some foods so they can thaw before lunch time. Finally, include moist towelettes as a reminder to your children to clean their hands. One caution: be sure to pack lunches that meet any restrictions the school has laid down.
Parents should send questions and comments to dearteacher@dearteacher.com or ask them on the columnists’ Web site at www.dearteacher.com.
Copyright © 2011, Compass Syndicate Corporation. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.
