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Spring Break Stress?
By: John Burkholder
We benefit here at Hamilton Middle from tremendous support from our families. We are well supported as a school, and I am confident that our students go home each night to loving and supportive families. Our students are in good hands!
I wish all our families a good spring break, whether that means travel, hanging out at home, pursuing hobbies and sports, or even cleaning out a neglected living space or garage. As you move into this week of no school, please know that here at Hamilton Middle in a post-pandemic world we continue to see students exhibiting signs of stress and anxiety in numbers in excess of what we saw prior to March of 2020. For some students, this stress is easy for us to see, while for others it stays fairly well hidden.
Across spring break, please try to find time to connect with your child through conversation. Ask your child how they are doing. How do they feel about school? Are there things that worry them? Who are their friends these days? What are they looking forward to? A strategy to help a child enter into this type of conversation is the shoulder-to-shoulder approach where the talking takes place while on a walk or during a car ride. Taking away the need for eye contact can help some people feel more comfortable about entering a conversation. In addition, try to find some time, perhaps unscheduled and impromptu, to do something fun with your child. Play a game, shoot some baskets, take a walk, go for ice cream. Reassure your child that life's journey is at times challenging, confusing, and even anxiety producing, and that talking about these things can really help.
Please let us know of any concerns that you may be having with your child, as we have several staff members whose role it is to support students with needs around their personal well-being. I hope that you and your family have a good spring break!
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