Parents are invited to contact me via phone (732-741-7112 ex. 3902) or e-mail ([email protected]) about their child at any time. I am typically the first step in determining a plan for addressing your concerns.
Why do parents contact Ms. Peirson?
*Concerns about student achievement
*Concerns about social/emotional issues
*High school information
*Scheduling questions
*Family difficulties or concerns
*Parenting/community resources
Why do parents contact Ms. Peirson?
*Concerns about student achievement
*Concerns about social/emotional issues
*High school information
*Scheduling questions
*Family difficulties or concerns
*Parenting/community resources
Being a parent of a middle school student is TOUGH.
Students experience social, emotional, behavioral, and physical changes during their middle school years and they all do it at different paces. Here are some tips on how to keep the lines of communication open and to help foster an emotionally resilient problem solver. Communication
Emotional Resilience: the ability to adapt to stressful or adverse situations.
Characteristics of Emotionally Resilient Kids
Click HERE for a great article that ran in the Washington Post written by a school counselor and mother about helping your child surive the social ups and downs of middle school.
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The After School Melt Down
Has your child ever got home for school and completely melted down? To them, in the moment, the sky is falling. They are hungry and tired, both physically and emotionally. A school day is hard work! And you are the person they feel the most comfortable with and can completely let their guard down to get all that emotion OUT. It can be really challenging to not step in and "fix" everything they are upset about in that moment. This is the time for listening and supporting. Give them space to relax and wind down. Later that evening revisit the school day. When your child (and you) are in a more rational head-space that's when problem solving can occur and the problems may not seem as big as they were at 3:15. Helping Your Child Cope with Negative Emotions
FEEL IT: Validate the emotion and allow your child to feel it. We have a tendency to push away negative emotions, but they are a reality of life. It is important to acknowledge and feel the emotion. SHOW IT: Allow your child to show the emotion (i.e. tears). We often use phrases such as "brush it off" which teach kids to hide the emotion. Allow for the space to have kids safely and healthily show the emotion. LABEL IT: Identifying and labeling emotions is a critical skill set kids need to learn. As they grow emotions because increasingly complicated and kids can understand that they can feel more than one emotion at once. Labeling the emotion helps them connect their behavior to how they are feeling. WATCH IT GO: Emotions come and go. It is important to help kids realize that they worked through something. Identify coping skills they used and remind them that although every emotion has value, they are bigger than the emotion. It doesn't control them and they are able to work through it. Source: Teaching Your Kids Emotional Agility |
Tips and Resources for Technology and Social Media
Helpful Websites/Articles
Dealing with Cyberbullying
Common Sense Media: Social Networking Tips for Parents
Cyber Smart Parent Resources
Always Connected
- Monitor your child's cell phone, computer, television, video game, etc. use. Be aware of what they are doing and who they are talking to while online.
- It is OKAY for you to look at your child's phone and to limit the amount they use it. You can contact your cell phone provider to put limits on texting.
- Keep ipads/cell phones out of the bedroom when your child is going to bed.
- Discuss safety with your child. Your child should know: why it is important to keep their passwords private, what to do if a stranger contacts them online, why it is important to set strict privacy settings, what they post online is permanent even if they think they've deleted it.
- Set strict privacy settings. Your child will use social media, but ensure what they post is kept safe by locking down their profiles.
- Discuss appropriate and respectful online behavior. If they wouldn't say it in person, they shouldn't say it online.
- Discuss with your child that they are responsible for what they create, post, and share online. There will be consequences for making poor choices both at home and at school.
Helpful Websites/Articles
Dealing with Cyberbullying
Common Sense Media: Social Networking Tips for Parents
Cyber Smart Parent Resources
Always Connected
Parent Resources
American School Counselor Association Parent Resources
The Mental Health Association of Monmouth County
Developmental Designs
American School Counselor Association Parent Resources
The Mental Health Association of Monmouth County
Developmental Designs
Recently in Monmouth County there has been a major campaign to raise awareness of the growing heroin epidemic in our area. Prevention in schools and at home along with open communication between you and your kids is so important in keeping our kids safe and drug-free. Please find below resources for families regarding substance abuse prevention. There are some great resources with strategies about how to talk to your kids about making healthy, safe choices.
substance_abuse_resources.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |