School Aged Children

It is typical for parents to have anxieties around kids and school. Elementary school is a completely new social structure that you will have very little control over. Your child will be exposed to many new ideas, new behaviours, new people, and it is up to you as parents to help shepherd them so that they can grow and become independent thinkers and doers. How then can we work to influence, guide and nurture our child during these fast growing and very intimidating years? What can we do to make this transition smoother for the child? There are many issues that will arise in these elementary years and parents need to be diligent and proactive so that they can support and nurture their child effectively.

This section is dedicated to providing you with ideas, stories and strategies to help you help your child in this life stage. Building self esteem, making friends, coping with teasing and bullying, talking about their difference, these are all issues that you will encounter at some point in the elementary school years. Take heart, many school boards, principals and teachers are also working with you and community agencies to ensure that these early education years are as rewarding as possible for all children.

Articles of Interest

• Walk a Day in My Shoes, by Anthony Laflamme-Lemieux
• When your Child Starts or Changes Schools
• Tools for School, Life Skills
• Bullying, Life Skills
• Preparing Your Kids for Back to School, by Anna Pileggi
• Tips for Teachers, Special Teachers Supplement
• Back to School, by Kathy Kapp-Simon, Ph.D.