Anxiety and Friendships: New School Year, Fresh Start

Anxiety and Friendships: New School Year, Fresh Start

written by Dr. Liz Matheis, posted on Psychology Today

The start of the school year can breed anxiety for parents of anxious children, teens, and young adults. Although your child may want and seek and desire friendships, this may be an area that needs some coaching with the fresh start of a new school year.

So, what are you, as the parent of an anxious child, teen, or young adult, to do in an effort to help your child learn how to connect with other same-aged peers, build the skills to manage situations that don’t go their way, and maintain friendships over time? This is a difficult task because you hurt for your child when you see conflicts, when you hear words like, “She’s being mean to me,” when you notice that your and your child’s invitations for playdates are not being answered or reciprocated, or when you find that your teen or young adult is not being included in social plans.

Keep Your Ears Open

For young children (elementary-aged), I encourage parents to invite a friend over to play and to keep a listening ear from the next room. That is, take note of how your child interacts with his peers. For example, is your child bossy? Or, is your child quickly backing down to what the other child wants to do but then voicing to you later that the playdate was not fun because they did not get to play the games they wanted?

Listen to how your child manages negotiations and compromises, if at all. Are you hearing, “If you don’t play this game with me, then you’re not my friend”? Take note of which games your child enjoys and if the other child is joining them.

All of this information gives you insight into how your child is interacting with other children when you are not within earshot. You are also gaining valuable information about your child’s preferences, conflict resolution skills, and social personality. And try to maintain a schedule of one playdate per week, as friendships are built outside of school. Although this is difficult for working parents, make it a point to organize one social plan for each of your children per week.

For older children (middle school and older), the car is a great place to get a vibe check on what’s happening in your pre-teen and teen’s social world. Volunteer to drive your child and friends around and let the conversations go. The quieter you are in the driver’s seat, the more they forget you’re there and speak openly and candidly.

Setting A Routine for Success at School

Setting a Routine for Success at School

written by Neetika Prabhakar, posted on PBS

We’ve all been there. Sometimes, it’s just not easy to get up and get going in the morning. For young children who are still developing the ability to cope with new situations, preparing to have a successful day at school can feel overwhelming. Yet, there are tactics parents can use to help their kids leave the house feeling healthy, confident, and energized. You can reduce your child’s anxiety and help them feel empowered for success by establishing a predictable routine. Following a schedule each day makes children feel safer and happier, which often leads to better behavior and cooperation. When they know what to expect, and what’s expected of them, kids feel more comfortable and confident about what lies ahead.

Five Ways to Beat Back-to-School Jitters

Five Ways to Beat Back-to-School Jitters

written by Katie Hurley, LCSW, posted on PBS

It’s that time of year again: Summer is winding down and families are preparing for the new school year. Whether your child is headed to kindergarten for the first time or returning for another year of preschool, the transition from summer to school is packed with emotions.

It’s perfectly natural for even the most enthusiastic young learner to feel nervous and uncertain. A new school year comes with a new classroom, a new teacher and new classmates. The classroom rules and routines are likely to change, as are the behavioral and academic expectations. It’s a lot to manage when you’re young.

Many children struggle to find the words to describe how they’re feeling when under stress, so it’s important to watch for behavioral changes. You know your child’s baseline. If your child normally falls asleep easily and sleeps through the night, but begins to struggle with bedtime or has nightmares or night wakings as the school year approaches, this is a good indicator that your child is experiencing anxiety. Other signs of stress can include the following:

  • Sleep disturbance
  • Changes in eating habits
  • Mood changes
  • Clingy behavior
  • Increased frustration
  • Frequent meltdowns
  • Decreased social interactions
  • Refusal to engage in normal daily activities

While many children will enter the first day of school without a worry, it does help to spend time focusing on the emotional needs of your child as the transition approaches. Take these steps to help your child prepare for a new school year.

HobbyScool Summit: Back to School Edition

The HobbyScool Summit: Back to School Edition

Are you concerned that your child isn’t quite ready for the new school year? Don’t worry – the Back to School Summit has you covered! This online summit will help you and your child be prepared for the upcoming school year. 

This free event kicks off on Tuesday, September 13th and features 19 speaker presentations that will cover topics such as how to set goals, how to study smarter, and how to get organized to set your child up for success in the school year.

Who doesn’t want that?

Our very own Dr. Liz Matheis will be speaking on the topic of: Managing Back to School Anxiety.

So why wait? Sign up today and guarantee your child’s success in the new school year! Get your free ticket by clicking the box below! Excited to see you there!

HobbyScool Summit: Back to School Edition

The HobbyScool Summit: Back to School Edition

Are you concerned that your child isn’t quite ready for the new school year? Don’t worry – the Back to School Summit has you covered! This online summit will help you and your child be prepared for the upcoming school year. 

This free event kicks off on Tuesday, September 13th and features 19 speaker presentations that will cover topics such as how to set goals, how to study smarter, and how to get organized to set your child up for success in the school year.

Who doesn’t want that?

Our very own Dr. Liz Matheis will be speaking on the topic of: Managing Back to School Anxiety.

So why wait? Sign up today and guarantee your child’s success in the new school year! Get your free ticket by clicking the box below! Excited to see you there!

HobbyScool Summit: Back to School Edition

The HobbyScool Summit: Back to School Edition

Are you concerned that your child isn’t quite ready for the new school year? Don’t worry – the Back to School Summit has you covered! This online summit will help you and your child be prepared for the upcoming school year. 

This free event kicks off on Tuesday, September 13th and features 19 speaker presentations that will cover topics such as how to set goals, how to study smarter, and how to get organized to set your child up for success in the school year.

Who doesn’t want that?

Our very own Dr. Liz Matheis will be speaking on the topic of: Managing Back to School Anxiety.

So why wait? Sign up today and guarantee your child’s success in the new school year! Get your free ticket by clicking the box below! Excited to see you there!

Why Our Kids May Actually Be Okay in Fall 2020

The parts of COVID-19 quarantine that may actually benefit our children.

Written by Dr. Liz Matheis

Featured on Psychology Today

Although I am dreading this back-to-school season because it won’t look like anything we’ve seen or known before, my three kids are surprisingly not as anxious as I thought they would be. In fact, they seem to be okay with the proposed hybrid plan that is planned to start in only a few weeks.

I’m sad that we won’t have our traditional stand-by-the-school-bus and take pictures, that we won’t take our traditional walk up to school on the first day, or spend the morning saying hello to parents who we haven’t seen while we went into our summer hibernation. So many things that I will miss, but that makes me realize a few things as a parent and psychologist that may comfort you as we get ready to enter a fall that will be unfamiliar and will go down in our personal history books.

Image by pexels

"The various psycho-educational testing Dr. Liz conducted on our son gave us critical clues about where his learning strengths and weaknesses lie so that his needs could be better addressed at home and school. Moreover, because of their warm, kindhearted personalities, both Dr. Liz and her associate, Stephanie, formed an immediate bond with my son. He eagerly looks forward to his weekly therapy sessions. We are so lucky Dr. Liz came into our family's lives when she did! For stressed-out families trying to help their children as best they can, she is a calming voice of reason!"
- Julie C.
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- Anonymous
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"Dr. Liz is the best! Our family was directed to her by our Pediatrician to assist with figuring out severe mood changes, severe anxiety, strange new fears and food aversion that had come onto one of our children literally overnight. After just a couple of visits, she suggested that the issues may actually be rooted in a physical issue and suggested we immediately take our child to be swabbed for strep, because Dr. Liz suspected PANDAS (a pediatric autoimmune disorder brought on by strep). The same Pediatrician that suggested Dr. Liz would not do the swab (they do not believe in PANDAS and we no longer go there) but I took my child to my doctor who did the swab and it was positive for strep. When our child went on antibiotics, within 24 hours all symptoms went away and our child was back :-) Dr. Liz then recommended a PANDAS specialist who helped us and our child is in complete remission and is happy and healthy. We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Liz for her knowledge of all things, even the most remote and unusual and for helping us so much! Thank you!"
- Anonymous
"The various psycho-educational testing Dr. Liz conducted on our son gave us critical clues about where his learning strengths and weaknesses lie so that his needs could be better addressed at home and school. Moreover, because of their warm, kindhearted personalities, both Dr. Liz and her associate, Stephanie, formed an immediate bond with my son. He eagerly looks forward to his weekly therapy sessions. We are so lucky Dr. Liz came into our family's lives when she did! For stressed-out families trying to help their children as best they can, she is a calming voice of reason!"
- Anonymous
"Thank you, Dr. Liz. Although we have told you countless times, it will never feel enough. You have listened when J could barely speak and continued to listen when he was sad, angry and confused. You've challenged him and directed us in our roles as parents. You've helped J face his fears while the list evolved and changed, and yet you've stayed committed to 'the course.' We pray that your children realize that time away from them is spent helping children learn and that vulnerability is a sign of strength and bravery."
- June I
"My son was admitted to an Ivy League school when only 2 years ago, you assessed him and saw his struggles, his Dyslexia. We are grateful that he no longer has to carry that deep feeling of inadequacy or shame that must have kept him so self conscious and from reaching his potential. He has the PERFECT program for him. He has A's in high math and economics. He became a Merit Scholar, a Boys State legislature, the HEAD captain of the football team and help a job ALL while studying and managing his classes and disability. I am PROUD of you, a young doctor, who knows and sees the vulnerability of children and helps them recognize "it's NO big deal" God bless."
- Anonymous

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