This time in history is unlike any other where students across the nation are being taught by their teachers from home for an extended time frame, and coming to school wearing a protective mask, all while practicing social distancing and superb hygiene.

This past spring, students in the U.S. engaged in distance learning and were asked to self-regulate, manage their schedule, attend all of their online classes, stay organized, find a quiet place at home and remain focused, all while completing their assignments on a regular basis – with minimal, if any, face-to-face instruction from their teachers.

This school year, many school districts across America decided to slowly reintroduce students back into the classroom by engaging in the hybrid learning model (where students split their time between online and in person learning). As a middle school teacher, I can speak to the challenges that we face as educators in trying to reach all of our students (which now include a number of full distance learners) and connect with them to develop meaningful relationships. 

THE REALITY OF TEACHING IN COVID TIMES

Teachers have been trained and equipped with a plethora of technological tools to try and best engage students in learning. However, they are posed with the added challenge to simultaneously manage students in their classroom, while also managing a group of students online. The analogy I liken it to is a wry, darkly humorous one. So please bear with me and hopefully you get a laugh out of it. At the same time, you will begin to realize the reality that educators these days are faced with on a day-to-day basis.

Teachers have become the all-in-one package overnight. Whether they dreamed about it or not, they have become the host of their own live show (teacher-directed learning – in large part) – doing more talking to their students, while searching for moments to take a breath and rest their constant vocal projections through their mask. They have also become content creators of brand new, untested, dynamic, largely technology-based lesson plans, as well as production managers (getting all of the tabs up and ready to go in a certain sequence when presenting the lesson), sound engineers (for best microphone pickup), webcam choreographers (best angle, both static and dynamic views), technology specialists/troubleshooters (being able to navigate tech issues on the fly), supervisors (of both online and in person learners), mental health counselors (being able to gauge if anyone is feeling anxious/uncomfortable – especially in person with long durations of wearing masks, while not being able to read their facial expressions due to their masks) and having only one-take as they give their entire being to their best performances for their students who appear on their screens as if they were “The Brady Bunch” on steroids (a.k.a. the online students) viewed in their tic-tac-toe-like tiles.

Now, it is up to the teacher to engage these students at home, while also getting them to interact with the “live in studio audience” participants (in class students) as best as possible. It is quite the sci-fi experience that no teacher or student could have ever dreamt of and live this each and every day, in “the land of uncertainty” not knowing where all of this is headed. Please let me know if I missed something in our new job description (which is always in flux anyhow)!

In the meantime, parents are busy on so many fronts – trying to make a living, putting food on the table, helping with the “distance learning” and keeping it all together in their own lives during these challenging times. Despite the challenges that we all face, it is important to be a source of strength and stability for our children. With that said, below are some tips to keep your child engaged and organized throughout the school year.

TIPS FOR HELPING YOUR CHILD STAY ENGAGED AND ORGANIZED THIS SCHOOL YEAR

1. Get a child into a routine early on.

Routine is paramount to success. Students should be going to bed and getting up close to the same time each day during the school week. It is important for children to obtain the recommended amount of sleep each night for their age. Furthermore, there shouldn’t be any electronic use at least one hour prior to sleep. It would be best to remove electronics from the bedroom in order to prevent any blue light cognitive arousal, which would disrupt their melatonin secretion and could lead to inadequate sleep. Also, eating a well-balanced breakfast rich in all of the food groups will provide a child with the energy they need to sustain them through the day. 

Benefits of getting a child into a routine:

• Reduced stress – when a child has a predictable daily routine, they feel safe and secure, which puts them at ease. 
• Increased self-esteem and confidence – knowing what to expect can boost a child’s confidence and feeling of being in control of the situation. It allows them to know what tasks need to be accomplished and by when.
• Better time-management and self-discipline – routine, by design, promotes a schedule and habits of practice that tend to generate positive outcomes (e.g. washing hands before you eat, brushing teeth after you eat a meal, doing homework the same time each day, etc.)
• Promotes healthy lifestyle habits (eating, exercising, sleeping, and thinking well)
• Improves quality family time – engaging in a family game, movie night, arts and crafts project, walk in the neighborhood, family chores, etc.

2. Take frequent study breaks.

Typically speaking, frequent breaks help students get mentally and physically recharged. It is also an opportunity for kids to socialize with their peers. Nowadays, these breaks at school are coined “mask breaks” and involve kids being at least six feet away from their peers. However, for distance learners at home, this can help alleviate some of the mental fatigue and frustration associated with being in front of a computer screen for so long. It can also help children better self-regulate.

Ultimately, these study breaks can prevent the often dreaded “homework struggles” from ensuing between many parents and their children. These breaks can be physical in nature such as playing, running around, or could just be relaxing, such as listening to or playing music, drawing, singing, or doing a quiet activity such as reading a pleasure book (anything that doesn’t involve more screen time). 

3. Sign your child up for at least one virtual extracurricular activity.

Parents can contact their child’s school and ask what clubs or activities your child can get involved in. Many children these days are experiencing feelings of loneliness. Thus, being able to facilitate a child’s social-emotional well-being by helping connect them with their peers and make friends is so important for their mental health (especially these days). For example, there may be opportunities for your child to start a virtual club at their school and make those social-emotional connections that are much needed.

4. Stay in contact with your child’s teacher on a regular basis.

If your child is in elementary school, they most likely don’t have a school email and oftentimes parents are the ones who are reaching out to the teacher on behalf of their child. However, when a child reaches middle school (definitely high school), this is a great opportunity for them to take the initiative to regularly communicate with their teachers regarding questions about homework assignments or seeking extra help.

Making that connection with your child’s teacher(s) will reduce your own stress levels, provide clarity on the class rules, expectations, and routines and will help everyone be on the same page to help create a caring and safe community to best help your child to reach their full potential.

For a complete guide to help you and your family’s overall well-being during these challenging times, from all things healthy home to eating, moving, sleeping, and thinking well strategies, grab a free copy of my 25-page WHOLE LOTTA LIVING GUIDE here.

Work with me personally! I am currently open to clients for one-on-one coaching sessions. Click here for more information on my personal coaching sessions that will help you regain balance, joy, and happiness in your life, all while handling the current state of affairs. You can e-mail me at: [email protected]

Feel free to check out my program “30 Days to Finding You.” I walk you through my 10-Step Personal Happiness Formula that you can apply specific to your lifestyle, starting today. Click here to learn more.

Wishing you to stay mentally and physically healthy and strong!

Going to school for many kids is like going to war each and every day. It is a battleground where they are faced with the responsibility of making all kinds of decisions and having to deal with the consequences of their actions.

You see, making decisions independently is hard enough for a child. However, when faced with pressure from their peers to make a decision one way or the other, it becomes a whole new ball game.

There are so many more pressures that kids face today than ever before in history. The traditional pressures of smoking, drinking and drugs continue to pervade our society. But these days children have to engage on two different fronts: making wise decisions in person, and while using technology in the cyberworld, in particular on social media.

As a middle school teacher of 20 years, I have seen the evolution of challenges and the social pressures and expectations that kids face. Peer pressure to look and act a certain way, say the right things to be accepted into the “in-crowd,” play the “cool” games everyone else is playing, wear the latest designer clothing brands everyone else is wearing, and — nowadays — partake in the social media forums everyone else is taking part in. [Click here to read the full article] – originally published for www.afineparent.com

To an Empowered Future Leader of the World!

STRESS… a five letter word that we all deal with at some level and have to learn how manage throughout our lives. We know that stress is a silent killer and can cause lasting negative emotional and physical changes on us. However, stress is not created equally and it is important to understand the different types of  responses our bodies have in dealing with stress and ways to prevent stress from becoming toxic and long-lived.

When a child says that they are afraid of giving a presentation in front of the classroom to their peers versus being scared to go to school for fear of being bullied, those are two different kinds of stressors — the former being considered “normal and healthy” and the latter “abnormal and potentially debilitating.”

A child is especially susceptible to the negative effects of prolonged stress. This blog focuses on the following three aspects related to stress and its impact on children:

• Understanding the main types of stress responses
• Examining how each response can affect a child’s overall well-being
• What can be done to help prevent toxic stress

Three Main Types of Stress Responses

Positive stress response – Let’s say your child is about to play piano in a musical performance in a few hours.  The anticipation leading up to that event can produce an increase in heart rate and a mild increase in stress hormone levels. These feelings are completely normal and essential for healthy development.

Tolerable stress response – When a child experiences a more serious event, such as the loss of a loved one or a serious bodily injury, the body’s nervous system is activated to a greater degree and stress levels rise. With support from close adults, the effects from the stressful situation or event will subside and the body will recover back to its normal state.

Toxic stress response – Recurring, prolonged, long-lasting stressful events, such as physical or emotional abuse, neglect, substance abuse, exposure to violence or mental illness without consistent, adequate adult support, can lead to significant disruptions in brain development and other organ systems. These effects include developmental delays, cognitive impairment, and stress-related diseases throughout adulthood.

Ways to Help Prevent Toxic Stress

Here are some ways to help prevent the effects of toxic stress from impacting your child:

Have a Support System for Your Child

The importance of a support system is paramount for a child overcoming the effects of stress. We see that toxic stress can affect children in different ways. Kids need a safe place to turn to where they feel protected, reassured, and supported both emotionally and physically.

Remove Chronic Stress

Remove the chronic stressor(s) or adverse situation from your child’s life as soon as possible.  I have worked with children and their families that have endured extreme poverty, food scarcity, neglect, abuse, and/or violence in the home. Research has shown that toxic stress can harm the brain and other organ systems of these children at any point in development. However, when the events happen early on in a child’s life, they have more of a profound and lasting impact. These adverse effects may not become apparent until adulthood.¹

Teach Children Resiliency

The ability to properly cope with and adapt to adverse situations, despite the present conditions, plays a huge role in dealing with toxic stress. Research has shown that children with higher resilience have higher IQ scores, well-balanced temperaments and self-control, positive self-concept, greater empathy, and problem-solving skills.²

Engage a Child in Healthy Response Outlets

Again, all children react differently to stress. The variety of stress that children deal with on a daily basis varies. Students that I’ve taught, mentored and coached over the years who had poor social support from their primary caregivers and/or their peers and suffered from prolonged stress developed maladaptive behaviors in response to this stress. The fundamental principle in handling stress is having an effective outlet to release it. Some children release stress most effectively by engaging in different physical activities, such as sports, karate, dancing, etc. Others go within and express their feelings through writing or drawing.

One universal tool that I use in the classroom with my students is mindful relaxation response techniques. Conscious efforts to breathe deeply and slowly help slow down heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and decrease stress hormone levels. Guided imagery about positive outcomes to potentially stressful events is another technique I use to help children deal with anxious or stressful situations.

Developing coping mechanisms for stress take time and regular practice. A consistent implementation of these techniques in safe environments help produce the best sustainability for a long-lasting positive outcome for helping a child best handle stress.

Talk to Your Child’s Pediatrician

Your child’s pediatrician can be an excellent resource for meeting not only your child’s needs, but the needs of you and each family member’s in order to adequately structure an environment conducive for your child’s overall physical and emotional growth and well-being.

In my best-selling book, The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens, I discuss ways to help your child develop the skills necessary to effectively handle different types of stress and challenges in their life so they can thrive in all they do and fulfill their greatest potential.

To Detoxing From the Stress of You and Your Child’s Worlds!

Sources:

1. “Stress.” Alberta Family Wellness Initiative, Accessed July 9, 2018, www.albertafamilywellness.org/what-we-know/stress.

2. Cowen E.L., Wyman P.A., Work W.C. Resilience in highly stressed urban children: concepts and findings. Bull. N. Y. Acad. Med. 1996;73:267–284.

It is apparent that kids these days are dealing with a new set of problems on top of the old traditional issues that persist among today’s youth — from smoking, drinking, and substance abuse to cyberbullying and the (mis)use of various social media platforms. From mental health concerns, suicide, school violence, sexual assault to LGBT-related, the list goes on and on. These topics are boiling up inside millions of youth who are in need of platforms to express their voices.

How often do we see children running to adults and sharing their feelings? In the hit series 13 Reasons Why, there are some very graphic depictions of youth engaging in dangerous behaviors. The magnitude to which these issues affect kids warrant conversations in order to prevent or help someone in crisis.

Getting into a child’s mind and knowing what they are truly feeling, isn’t always easy. As a school teacher and someone who has worked with tween and teenage children for nearly two decades, I am aware of these problems and see that they must be addressed. I will admit that sometimes, it is difficult to hear what they have to say and I don’t necessarily have all the answers for them.

However, I recommend for parents, teachers, counselors, and mental health professionals who regularly are surrounded by children to start the tough conversations early. I realize that not all adults possess the tools necessary to know how to start these conversations and that is what inspired me to write this blog. You can never be sure of how someone is feeling. This is why it is important to have these discussions. It could sometimes be a matter of life and death.

1. “Actively” Listen

 For a child to share their feelings with someone else requires a level of trust. For kids, trust is earned and can be easily lost. To gain the trust and respect of a child, they need to know that you care and are there to listen to their concerns. Active listening goes beyond just hearing what someone has to say and preaching back to them what and how they should do it. It is important to convey the message to a child that they have been heard and understood. In order to do this, a valuable technique is to acknowledge the message by making eye contact with a child and restating the message shared in your own words back to the child. This way of responding with reflection shows the child that you care and are paying attention to the details. This often opens up the door for them to want to share more and have a deeper conversation.

2. Demonstrate Empathy

It is common for a child and especially a teenager to think that no one understands their situation. Finding a way to relate with what children are going through, can be a big step for them to open up with you. Each child is different and will communicate with you in their own way and at their own pace. The key is not to change when and how much they talk, but to create a safe space for when they feel comfortable and are ready to have a conversation. I’ve noticed that when children feel they aren’t alone in their problems, they oftentimes open up about what is bothering them. This offers many children a sense of hope and in some cases, recovery.

3. Find the “in between” time to talk

Having a conversation with a child should feel natural. Finding that “in between” time, such as before or after school, at the dinner table, driving to a sports practice or music lesson, playing a game together, preparing a family meal or right before bedtime is a way to discuss important issues in a more casual setting.

4. Allow a Child to Speak Freely Without Judgment

It’s hard enough for a child to open up to adults about how they are truly feeling, let alone have to feel that their words will be analyzed, evaluated and held against them. The goal is to ultimately help a child resolve his or her own issues. By refraining from judgment and keeping the conversation flowing back and forth freely, a child will feel “on the level” with who is listening, rather than feeling inferior in any which way. Just by letting a child know that you are emotionally available and can talk with them openly about anything can make a big difference.

5. Ask Your Child for Advice

There is this notion that children should come to their parents for input and advice. While that may be true, reversing the roles can provide insight into what a child is thinking. Asking your child for their input empowers them and shows that you value what you have to say. This also makes the child have to formulate a response to help “solve their problem.” I feel this is an ingenious approach that we need to implement more with children. As adults, we can learn a lot from children of all ages, as they can learn from us. We all just have to start “asking” more often in order to discover and uncover those hidden treasures that can be found inside all of us.

In my best-selling book, The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens, I discuss a variety of conversation starters and ways to effectively break through with your child.

To Starting the Conversation!

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1. Work hard towards achieving set goals

Children who tend to achieve well in academics, sports, or different competitions realize the value in setting goals. This starts with a dream-like mindset about what it is they want and then planning out the steps necessary to turn their dream into a reality.

It is important to start small when setting goals. A really big goal is great! However, breaking it down into smaller goals that are shorter term make it more manageable and attainable. This goes for test preparation, project completion, a concert performance, sporting event or anything that involves practice and preparation. The key thing is for children to attain success at some level. They will soon experience a feeling of success and see the value in setting goals. From that point, a child has a platform that he can build from and complete future goals on their own.

 2. Do things without constant reminders

One of the biggest obstacles to success is prolonging getting started. That’s right…it’s the P word. You guessed it! Procrastination at its finest! I tell my students that the biggest challenge to completing their homework isn’t the level of complexity, but is literally getting it out of the backpack and putting it onto the table. I’ve learned that two things do not work with motivating children: reminding and rewarding.

Reminding and rewarding at times could be the more convenient approach to get a child to do something. However, this can get quite exhausting and expensive and does not put the onus of responsibility and decision-making on a child. Rather than constantly reminding children to get started on something, get them into a routine, which is really an expectation to complete something – starting at a certain time – with a general time frame in mind. Motivated students realize that if they get into a habit, a regular daily routine, of where and when they do homework or chores, it becomes that much easier to get started and stay motivated to complete tasks in a timely fashion.

 3. Practice a “Go-Getter” attitude from an early age

Having a “go-getter” mentality is not something that happens overnight with children. At the core of motivation is a high level of self-esteem and self-confidence in one’s ability to tackle a particular task. When a child feels that he can handle the task or challenge that lies ahead, whether it be at home, school, socially, in sports, relationships with others, he is more willing to take risks and be willing to fall or fail to achieve that goal.

Early on in my work with children, I believed that motivating children comes from something outside of the child that was given to them. I would try to motivate them through not only my words and actions, but through stories, constant encouragement, making them laugh, giving them prizes, stickers, and telling them how much I believe in them. These things can certainly influence a child’s confidence and desires and have their time and place, but rather than being a source of motivation, I realized that by doing one key thing, sparked the greatest inspiration within them, which served to be my greatest tool.

It was the one thing that my mother taught me to do when I was a little boy that would help me truly understand and gain a competency, which ultimately led toward a greater self-confidence. That is listening. Just by paying attention to someone and what they have to say, without judgment, helps build their morale, shows that you are interested in hearing what they have to say and demonstrates how much their words have value.  This is one of the best kept secrets for helping a child find their motivation and something I would recommend that you implement right away!

4. Voluntarily engage in creative activities 

Before you decide to enroll your child in every enrichment activity out there, be aware of the quality of activities you expose your child to. You want your children to feel responsible for their success. Refrain from overexposure to technology as that counteracts the creativity process in many regards. Instead, provide your children with opportunities to problem-solve, handle tasks independently, as well as collaboratively. Give them a chance to become a leader and voice their opinion through community work, contribute to caring for a garden or a pet, or create something artistic to express their innermost feelings. These kinds of activities can give them the spark they need to feel excited and motivated to try new things and pursue different ventures throughout their life. And lastly, give your child a chance to choose what they would love to do. Allow them to explore different activities and find what moves them the most.

5. Enjoy the learning process

Kids learn through many modalities. When they are young, children need to be guided through the learning process. Much of learning at a young age comes through play, movement, and imagination. Therefore, allowing a child to be physically active and use their imagination can be a great stimulus toward engaging learning. As a child gets older, integrating their passions into what they are learning can spark motivation. Connecting what a child is learning to something in the real world that affects them in some way or another, shows the relevance and worth in what they are learning. This makes them more interested in wanting to learn about something that may otherwise be boring or irrelevant to their life.

In my best-selling book, The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens, I discuss a variety of strategies to help motivate your teen or tween in all aspects of their lives, without having to nag them.

If you are looking to regain motivation for life, take things to the next level in your business or personal life, or get a fresh start and try something new in life, check out my program “30 Days to Finding You.” I walk you through my 10-Step Personal Happiness Formula that you can apply to your life, starting today. Click here to learn more. 

To More Motivation and Less Procrastination!