Family Stressbusters

Last week I discussed how the school year often changes the “psychological
temperature” within the family from an easy going, slower pace to a busy and sometimes stressful time. The challenge of the school year requires healthy family relationships and effective communication patterns to keep things running smoothly.

Encourage your children’s development of communication skills with their teachers and other school personnel. Become involved in PTA and other volunteer parent organizations at the school. Display enthusiasm for their education and what it provides them. When possible try to have one parent present soon after the children come home from school. After-school time is the part of the day when the child wants to share events of the day, and tell of successes or failures. A parents to take care of the cuts and scratches and also provide the strokes and pats on the back. By helping with supervising homework, the parent can teach study skills and habits. Having a relaxed
setting after school and in the evening is important for healthy family development.

Parents can teach such virtues as self-discipline, delaying gratification, striving for personal responsibility and willingness to be compassionate and empathetic with those less fortunate than themselves. Additionally, respect for authority, respect for other peoples property and non violent means of conflict resolution need to be emphasized by parents in the home.

Help your child by having a special place available for your child to study which is quiet and free from distraction. Encourage your child to set aside a definite time for study each day and help them make a commitment to stick to a schedule. Don’t let your child wait until it’s almost bedtime before they start their homework assignments. Don’t complete their assignments for them but be available to help when appropriate.

Set aside regular time for the family to sit down and spent time talking about how each person’s needs are being met – or not met. Use this information to modify each family member’s responsibility within the family.

Set aside definite periods of time when the family can be together as a unit. For example eating meals together in the evening without the interruption of the phone or T.V. builds stronger relationships and healthier communication...