Middle school can be a very stressful time for our kiddos! Not only are their bodies changing, but their peer groups may be shifting, old friendships may be disappearing and new friendships may be developing. They can also sense a shift in what is expected of them but may not quite have figured out how to meet that expectation. In addition, we as parents may not be able to exert as much control over their sources of information as we used to, so they are hearing the alarm bells around climate change (which tends to be presented in language that is much more pertinent to their generation) and about mass shootings and the general political rhetoric that is all around us. All of these factors can contribute to the fact that anxiety among youth is on the rise. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/features/anxiety-depression-children.html

I will be conducting a presentation for parents about anxiety and how it can affect our children. I will talk about some possible reasons why anxiety is on the rise amongst our children, how social media plays a role and what you as a parent can do to best support your child. Finally, I will give some pointers on, if and when you should seek extra support for your child. Please join me on Tuesday, November 12th at 6:30 pm at Browns River Middle School, located at 20 River Road in Jericho, Vermont. The presentation will be approximately 1 hour long with plenty of time afterwards for parent questions and discussion.

It is not always easy to know how to be the best support for our kids so I do hope you will join me and your fellow parent community in Jericho to get some good tips, vibes and maybe a few laughs!