school

My oldest child is now a big bad 8th grader, and even though it’s only the third week of school, I have a good feeling about this year. It seems like things are going well and she’s much more sure of herself than she’s been in the past. Last year, she had major anxiety about school, and it caused lots and lots of problems. I’ve got four more who need to go through it all, so I’m always interested in figuring out new approaches to school issues. I’ve been previewing a book about this very subject, and I think it’s a great resource for parents: Overcoming School Anxiety by Diane Peters Mayer.

The author developed the Overcoming School Anxiety Program after years of working with kids and parents as a psychotherapist and has successfully treated hundreds of elementary school kids who suffer from school anxiety. The book outlines easy-to-learn techniques for children, including breathing and relaxation exercises, focusing techniques, and tips for proper diet and exercise to help alleviate stress. Some of the topics covered include:

• The inability to stop worrying

• Panic attacks
• The fear of people, places, and things
• Text anxiety
• Perfectionism
• Low self-esteem
• Parental and family problems

This book is easy to read, and you don’t have to sit down and read the whole thing all at once, you can turn right to the section that applies to your child and get some advice and read about real-life examples of kids and parents figuring out how to deal with their worries.

I would have loved having this book in my hands when we first started this whole middle school thing! The chapter about Homework Anxiety would have been a huge help to us then, and it’s probably something I can still refer to now as needed.

Great book. Check it out!