Back To School: 22 Things Your Kid’s Principal and Teacher Won’t Tell You But Wants You To Know

Before the first day of school, teachers and principals help parents to prepare for the year ahead — they give you supply lists and make sure you know what time to drop your kid at the bus stop. But there are some things you need to know that won’t appear on any back-to-school handout.    1. If you want to talk to me about a…

Things Your Child’s Teacher Won’t Tell You

A look inside a teacher’s mind could help you understand lesson plans and maybe even guide your child to perform better. If we teach small children,  don’t tell us that our jobs are “so cute” and that you wish you could glue and color all day long. I’m not a marriage counselor. At parent-teacher conferences, let’s stick to your child’s progress, not how your husband doesn’t…

Back To School – Bullying And The Gifted

Why the gifted may be more likely to be bullied–and what you can do about it. For many gifted students, there is a more severe and serious issue that threatens them the first days and weeks of school.  Many of the students I see in my position have described it this way: they don’t really “belong” that they are merely “floating along” as the year progresses, not…

Back to School – Transition To Secondary School

At this time of year, some children will be starting school for the very first time, others will be starting their first year of high school. What is transitioning? For children and young people some key transitions are around school and work, as they mark milestones in young lives. Starting at a new school is a normal part of life for young people. However, it…

Back To School : Parent Tips For Children With Autism

School districts throughout the country will soon welcome back students for a new academic year. This includes an increasing number of special needs children identified with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The beginning of a new school year is an exciting yet anxious time for both parents and children. It typically brings a change in the daily routine established over the summer months. This transition can…

Back to School – 10 Ways To Reduce Back-To-School Anxiety

New situations are difficult for many children. Going back to school is a filled with new situations—a new classroom, teacher, classmates, schedule, and responsibilities. Think about how anxious you would be about starting a new job every year of your life and you will know what children experience with the start of the new school year. But there are ways to reduce your child’s anxiety…

Back To School – Child’s Back-To-School Anxiety

How do we recognize kids’ anxiety? And how do we know if our child’s anxiety level is typical or problematic? Typical anxiety Some anxiety about returning to school is typical in kids. Most kids have a little anxiety about who their teacher will be and what the new year will bring. Kids may have some difficulty falling asleep or some nightmares at the very beginning…