Parenting: Back to School

by SAMHSA

Each week of September, the Family Guide Web site will feature articles and resources about sending children back to school. Whether your children are starting second grade or senior year, you'll find information to keep them mentally healthy and drug free.

Recognizing and Treating Attention Deficit Disorder

Kevin twists and fidgets as he tries to work on his homework. Unable to find his assignment sheet in his messy binder, he leaps up and begins to bounce off the sofa and chairs. His mother demands that he stop before he breaks something. He doesn't look at his mother, or even seem to hear her. Both Kevin and his mother are frustrated by this familiar battle. But Mom has another worry. Is her son just a very active boy or does he have attention deficit disorder (ADD)?

Show Your Kids Your Best Back-to-School Behavior

Beep beep beep. The ringing of your child's alarm clock signals that a new school year has arrived. It's time to prepare your child for waking up to that alarm and getting out his pencils and books. To help your kids rebound from the lazy days of summer, show them how to get ready for school. Although children are taught from lesson plans at school, they also learn from the examples that parents set at home. You are your child's first teacher, so get ready to lead a lesson about back-to-school routines.

Back-to-School Blues

The return to school can be stressful for many students, no matter their age. They worry about making friends, getting a good teacher, and finding their way around a new building. But starting the new school year may be harder for some students than others. Last year, if your child had poor grades, struggled with homework, or was unhappy in school, he may not be thrilled about the coming school year. If your child is starting a new school, she might be feeling especially nervous.

Help With Homework

As a parent, it's important for you to be involved in your child's education, and one way to do that is to help your child with homework. This may seem easier said than done... especially when your child would rather watch TV than do homework or if your child's math homework is too difficult for you to understand. However, helping your child with homework can teach him the most critical lesson of all - that learning is valuable and interesting and can be fun.

Making Friends in Middle School

Making good grades probably tops your list of goals for your middle school student, but making friends is also important. Middle school marks a new chapter in your child's life. She's moving away from childhood and into the beginning of adolescence. Your middle schooler's friends will help shape many of her values and actions - including what she thinks about alcohol and whether she drinks before her 21st birthday.

Teens'' Free Time With Friends

It's 3 p.m. on a school day. Do you know where your teen is ... and who is with him?

If he is like most teens, he probably likes to spend his free time with friends. Fitting in among peers can be very important to teens, and your teen may look to his peer group for clues on how he should behave. The friends your teen chooses can affect his actions and his well-being, for better or for worse. For example, children are more likely to drink alcohol if their friends also use alcohol.

About the Author

www.samhsa.gov
SAMHSA works to improve the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, alcohol and drug addiction treatment, and mental health services. Includes links to support groups, information resources, events and articles.