GIRLWISE FALL WORKSHOP!

Stop nagging kids about homework!

Parent blog: Stop nagging kids about homework

Written by Julie Poppen on Sep 13th, 2012. | Copyright © EdNewsColorado.org

Julie Poppen is a journalist, an editor and writer for Education News Colorado and the mother of a fifth-grader, who grumbled about homework before going to bed last night.
In case you haven’t already figured out that nagging doesn’t work on kids, consider new findings from researchers at the University of Northern Colorado.
The study, by assistant professor of school psychology John Mark Froiland and doctoral student Aubrey Peterson, found that it’s far more effective to set positive expectations than to enter into a battle of wills. Not only that, parents who set the expectation that their kindergartener will ultimately succeed in college also set the stage for higher scores for that same child in math, reading and science in eighth grade.
The results were published in an article in School Psychology International, one of the leading educational psychology journals.
So, how do you set high expectations?
Reading to young children, expressing hopes that they do well in school and encouraging them to learn to help others are effective ways to set expectations and support academic success, researchers say.
Froiland and Peterson, along with a University of Minnesota colleague, analyzed data involving more than 7,600 parents and children nationwide in concluding that parent expectations had a stronger effect on achievement than various forms of home-based parental involvement, including checking on grades and homework.
Froiland offers these tips for parents to set expectations and support their children’s academic success.

Tips for homework success

• Read to children ages 2 to 5 every day. Explain the meaning of vocabulary words and frequently visit the library together.

• Express your hopes, from preschool to young adulthood, that your children will do well in school and pursue the highest degree they’re capable of.

• Point them to the deeper purposes in learning – one of the greatest is to help others – throughout life.

• Don’t continually harp on them about grades and homework. In middle school and high school, children often struggle with their independence and may perceive questions such as, “Don’t you think you should go study right now?” as controlling.

• Don’t emphasize grades and other rewards so much that children lose sight of the real value of learning.

• Don’t allow your children to associate you solely with pressure and demands. It’s important to keep the relationship strong by spending time with your children doing something pleasant. Show unconditional love so that they know that they are accepted by you regardless of how well they perform in school.

So there you go, folks. This should mark the end of your homework battles. (One can dream…) Let us know how you manage homework in your household and whether the strategy is working.

Insomnia and Mental Health.....is counting sheep the answer?

Insomnia & Mental Health

“We see an epidemic of wakefulness intruding into our sleep and dreams as insomnia.  We mistake the jittery buzz of counterfeit energies for natural vitality. Half-awake in our sleep and half-asleep in our waking, we are never completely at rest and seldom fully conscious.”

Healing Night, Rubin Naiman, PhD

Sleep loss problems are thought to have adverse effects on the body’s inflammatory processes, digestive hormones, stress chemicals, immune system function, insulin regulation and blood pressure (Stein, 2005).  Short sleep duration is also associated with coronary artery calcification, obesity, diabetes, colon and breast cancer, heart disease and stroke (King, 2008).  But it is the corrosive effect of sleep loss on mental health and well being that is the major concern of Sleep Counseling.  Even in healthy subjects, sleep deprivation has been shown to cause emotional instability and pathological psychiatric patterns (Anderson, 2007).
Henry Ford Hospital research director asserts the prevalence of chronic insomnia in children and adolescents is similar to adults, and emerging data show morbidity associated with insomnia in childhood and adolescence to include school, social and substance abuse problems (NSF, 4/12/2010).  Allison Harvey, PhD, at UC Berkeley cites empirical evidence indicating that sleep disturbance may be one causal pathway that leads to relapse in bipolar disorder (Harvey, 2008).  A recent Harvard study measuring reduced levels of GABA in insomnia subjects speculated that anxiety, depression and insomnia may all share a similar underlying physiology (“Brain GABA Reduced,” 2008).

Patients with persistent and untreated insomnia are at up to six times the risk for new onset or recurrent episodes of major depression.

Dr. Michael Perlis, Director of the UPenn Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program asserts that the evidence with respect to psychiatric illness is clear and compelling.  Patients with persistent and untreated insomnia are at up to six times the risk for new onset or recurrent episodes of major depression.  There is also good evidence that insomnia is a risk factor for the development and/or recurrence of anxiety disorders and substance abuse (Perlis, 2004, 2009).
A 2001 University of Michigan study compared relapse rates following alcoholism treatment of subjects with and without insomnia.  Sleep maintenance insomnia had the highest correlation with relapse and, overall, post treatment relapse was greater among those with insomnia.  Brower, et al, concluded that sleep and insomnia assessments during treatment could potentially prevent relapse and improve recovery (Patrick, 2009).

Less than one-third of patients have initiated discussion with their physician about their sleep problems, and less than two-thirds have ever been asked about their sleep by a physician.

The 2009 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) poll found that less than one-third of patients have initiated discussion with their physician about their sleep problems, and less than two-thirds have ever been asked about their sleep by a physician.  When sleep problems are discussed with physicians, the result is often a prescription for sleep medication.  In 2005, 43 million prescriptions for sleep meds were written contributing to the alarming three-fold increase in the use of prescription sleep aids by 18 to 24-year-olds between 1998 and 2006.  During this same period, prescribed sleeping pill use among adults under the age of 45 increased by 50 percent.
Also during this same period, several studies showed the superior efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) versus AmbienCR and Lunesta–together accounting for nearly two-thirds of all the sleep medication taken!  Dr. Daniel Kripke’s “dark side of sleeping pills”  and information about specialized training in CBT-I from Dr. Michael Perlis can be accessed under “Links & Resources” on the main menu.

Managing Middle School Stress

Check out this great little video on Middle Schoolers and Stress Management! 

Is your child struggling with any of these?  Nipping mild stress in the bud early on reduces stress and anxiety from growing bigger throughout the school year.  If you want to give your back-to-schoolers some great stress/anger management skills, and help develop healthy coping skills for later in life call Joan Chapman to set up your free 360Family intake assessment.

Back to School!

Back to School Tips !

Mental Health America recognizes that the beginning of a new school year can be an exciting yet stressful time for children, with new teachers and classmates, bigger classrooms, new routines and more schoolwork. This time can be particularly unnerving and overwhelming for children who are facing major transitions such as starting elementary school or entering middle school. As a parent there are important steps you can take to support your child as he or she heads back to school.

• Know that your child's mental health is just as important as their physical health.
• Plans for a good school year start in the summer. Begin establishing a "back to school" routine at least two weeks prior to school starting to minimize stress and help with the transition.
• Healthy food and beverages and good quality sleep are necessary for academic success.
• Express interest and enthusiasm about the start of the school year. If you are confident and excited, your child will be too.
• Start the conversation! Talk to your child about your expectations as well as his/her expectations for the upcoming school year. Take time to listen to your child and discuss aspects of the new school year that he or she is worried about.
• If you have visited your child's school already, you are one step ahead of the game. If not, take a walk around the school with your child and locate his or her classrooms, lunchroom, playground and restrooms. This will help keep your child from feeling lost on the first day. When visiting prior to the first day is not an option, if the school has a website, allow your child to visit the site as there may be photos of the classroom, playground, school staff, required school supplies, schedules, other children, etc.
• Remember to let your child know that it's normal to feel nervous about the start of school. For parents of younger children, suggest that your child take a family photo or special object (with permission from school) to school to make his or her surroundings more comfortable.
• Spend time each day talking to your child about what happened in school. Be open to hearing the good and the not so good. Give your child positive feedback about his or her new experiences.
• Praise and encourage your child to become involved with school activities and to try new things.
• Encourage your child to try to make friends and to be a friend. School is a "social hub" that can be a very lonely place without a friend or two.
• Attend school functions and stay involved in your child's education and engaged with school staff. Children whose parents are more involved with their education have higher achievement, are better adjusted and are less likely to drop out of school.
• Be proactive in learning about how your child is developing not just physically, but socially and emotionally, as well. If you are aware of what's typical behavior and thoughts for your child's stage of life, you will be able to tell more readily when things may not be right.
• Know the signs of bullying. Bullying can take the form of direct bullying such as pushing, kicking, teasing, name-calling, destroying belongings as well as indirect action such as leaving someone out of a group, spreading rumors and cyber bullying. If your child is the bully or being bullied, swift action involving school staff is necessary.

Anxiety and stress about starting school is normal for a child and usually passes within the first few days or weeks. If your child continues to seem anxious or stressed, it may be time to seek help. Talk to your child's teacher, other classroom-based staff as well as your pediatrician about what you can do as a parent. If problems persist, consider getting a referral to a trained and qualified mental health professional.

Joan Marie Chapman works with children and families to address stress and anxiety BEFORE it effects your son or daughters academics! By focusing on stress management and helping patients to develop healthy coping skills, we can work together to be sure your child has the best school year yet!

Contact Joan directly at 310-465-6138