Another infographic crossed my desk this morning. This one caught my eye, as the title was: #1 Thing Kids Want When They’re Stressed”. It illustrates the results of a study in which children were surveyed by a company providing a therapeutic program for anxiety relief. Though the study facts and measures weren’t all that clear, I didn’t for a moment disagree with its findings:
Kids are most stressed by school.
I can’t say I’m surprised. But, I have to say, it really hurt to see that it in print.
I’m sad for those kids, and I’m angry about the whole situation, too. It’s heart-breaking, isn’t it? We’re talking about little kids here.
Think about this for a second: school stresses kids out. Doesn’t that make you sad and angry, too?
You know, when we choose to homeschool our kids, we avoid the stresses of traditional schooling. If grades are stressful, we find other ways to assess our kids. If the work load is too great, we can scale back or switch methods (with no loss of learning or progress). We’re not shielding our children from the real world, but instead helping our kids learn about stressors while they’re still in our care. And we’re giving them the tools to deal with stressors when they’re adults. It’s more gradual, gentle, and studies tell us — works better, too.
So, here’s my question to you today: Are you taking notice? If school is the #1 stressor of our nation’s kids, why aren’t more people standing up for change? Of the zillions of great parents out there — and believe me I know you’re an awesome parent – why aren’t more of you deciding you’ve had enough?
As a nation, we parents need to speak up. We need to look deeper. We need to demand change.
Clearly, given this statistic, not enough of us are noticing what conventional schooling is doing to our kids. Some of us are standing against Common Core, and that’s something. But why still support the system — if you already know it just isn’t working.
If you’re already a homeschooler, I am happy your children are not included in that statistic. But if you’ve got kids in traditional schools, won’t you please take a moment to check in with your children today? Make sure they’re okay — I mean, really okay. Ask them how they’re feeling about school. And please listen hard for what they’re trying to tell you.
Also today, spend some time looking into what is going on in your district, in your state. Volunteer in your local schools. Meet with your neighbors. And read, read, read what other parents have to say.
By the way, the same study also revealed the #1 thing kids ask for when they’re stressed…their parents.
They’re looking to you.
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