Digitally Distracted Parenting

I love technology! I really, really love technology.  From the invention of the wheel, to the mass production of books with the printing press, to research on "beam of invisibility." However, without being an alarmist, it is also important to be informed on the unintended impact of technological advances.  Over the past fifteen years as a school counselor, I have seen many positive and many concerning changes in our children.  Below please find a link to a compelling blog post on this topic.  Let's commit to not being "Digitally Distracted" parents and help one another set sound boundaries on our children's access to technology, so they can develop solid life skills.

Excerpt from "The scary truth about what’s hurting our kids" by Becky (Your Modern Family)

CNN recently interviewed Dr. Jean Twenge, author of iGen and her interview worried me – because I saw the truth that I would be facing in just a few short years. Dr. Twenge started doing research 25 years ago on generational differences, but when 2011 -2012 hit, she saw something that would scare her to the core. This is the year when those having iPhones went over the 50% mark.

The results of that should scare all of us.

• This was the year that more kids started to say that they felt “sad, hopeless, useless… that they couldn’t do anything right (depression).”
• They felt left-out and lonely.
• There is a 50% increase in a clinical level depression between 2011-2015.
• A substantial increase in suicide rate.Before I give you any more, I want you to look at these graphs and look at how the information correlates to the iPhones being released. They aren’t hanging out with friends nearly as much.

Good Morning Around the World

As many of you know, it is a tradition at the Lowell School that we welcome our students by name in the mornings.  This year (kudos to Ms. Notaro), we are learning how to greet each other in different languages.  So far, we have learned Arabic, Spanish, and Armenian. (Thank you to all our parents and students for helping us with the pronunciation!)  This week, lucky for me, we are greeting each other in Cantonese, a dialect of Chinese used in southern China and Hong Kong, my hometown.  

LowellRoom122a

For an inside look at some of the going-ons of the guidance office, please consider following our newly launched “Lowell Guidance” on Instagram at “lowellroom122a”.

Feelings & ZonesⓇ

This year, our guidance classroom lessons are centered on the Zones of RegulationⓇ.  We talk about how feelings having different levels of energy, sometimes we have too much energy (Yellow Zone), sometimes too little (Blue Zone).  When we have the just right level of energy for learning, we are in the Green Zone.  It is important that students understand our feelings are not good or bad, because every feeling has a purpose.  Some of them feel more comfortable, while some are uncomfortable.  More about this to come...

Welcome Ms. Cuff!

This year, we have one guidance intern as part of our student support team. Ms. Alexa Cuff comes to us via the Harvard Graduate School of Education and is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Prevention Science, with a concentration in school counseling. She is looking forward to a great school year at the Lowell School, and our students love having her here already!

PreK/Kindergarten Screening

We are super excited about spending time with our class of 2030 and 2031 during our upcoming PreK/K Screening days! While preparing for our parent presentation, I was reminded of the importance of reading to our children. The warm and inviting atmosphere of spending time with caring adults wires our children's brains to connect reading to positive emotions. The consistency of hearing and seeing words also builds essential pre-reading skills. Let's take a trip to the local library and find ourselves some good books this summer in preparation for a successful Fall transition!

What to Do When You Worry Too Much

Ms. Tareen has a new post up - do check it out: Who doesn't love a TED Talk?

"Dr. Huebner is a psychologist, mother and the author of the bestseller "What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety." In it, she emphasizes her belief in empowerment and provides practical advice for caregivers and children."

You can find the link to this TED talk via her post (link above).