Recently I have noticed an increase of the number of parents concerned about the low self confidence of their son's.  Historically, females have battled with self esteem and dealt with lower levels of self confidence.  However, recently the number of males with low confidence has climbed.  Although research does not yet agree on the cause there is definitely a need for bolstering of self confidence among our young men.  I read the following article from a website called Kaboose which goes into detail explaining egos, being tough and expressing emotions, problem solving, and father figures.  

Preparing for school is needed for every grade level; however; the transition from pre school to kindergarten is an important one.  Here are tips to prepare your rising Kindergarten big boy or girl for what changes will occur in a full day of school!

Kindergarten Readiness

http://www.babyzone.com/preschooler/article/kindergarten-readiness/

For 2 1/2 months students have the chance to have fun in the sun, sleep in late, and enjoy nights without homework.  However, as the BIG FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL approaches some students begin to regret the return of the school year.  It is normally evidence by reluctance to walk through the doors on the first day or crying or having a tantrum the night before.   Here are some things you can do to generate the comfort and excitement needed to make the first days of school enjoyable for you and for me!!!

“Will my teacher be nice? Where will I sit? Will the other kids like me?” Many kids get nervous about heading back to school. “A big part of a successful first week is establishing a routine and explaining where the bathroom is, what happens when you go to gym class and when to expect recess,” explains Cathy Dunne, a seventh grade teacher in the Toronto area. With a little preparation, parents can help. Here’s how to make your child’s transition a smooth one.

Remember Routines. Family routines tend to slide in the summer—after all, what’s summer without crazy bedtimes, a popsicle habit, and wearing swimsuits for days on end?—and it can be hard to readjust come fall, notes Patricia Tanner Nelson, Family and Human Development Specialist at the University of Delaware. “Well before school starts, focus on choosing sleep, exercise, healthy foods, and time together,” she says. Rosanna Scott, a mom of two from Ohio, agrees. “Practice school bedtimes a week before school starts so that the new routine is established,” she says.

Get Ready! Don’t underestimate the fun and importance of new stuff for the big day. With younger kids, a bag full of school supplies, a new backpack and a few new items of clothing tend to gear them up without any further encouragement, says Amanda Formaro, mother of four in Nevada. For an older child, this may be the time to give the thumbs-up to that must-have trend item, especially if he’s earned some money over the summer to pay for it. For ideas, find out what’s hot this year and get a printable supply list.

Another way to get everyone prepared is to plan a fun family outing on Labor Day weekend, suggests Scott, who home schools her two boys. “We often plan an event to celebrate the end of summer and welcome the new school season.” For some fun ideas, check out our Back to school party.

Show Them the Way. If she’s new to the school, show your child her classroom, what entrance and exit to use and where the bathroom is located. If she’s taking the bus, visit the bus stop location and explain how to get on and off, especially if it’s the first time. Show her the drop off and pick up spot at school, too—if you’re not sure where it will be, call the school ahead of time to find out.

Some schools will allow you to take a tour during the summer and arrange to meet the teacher. Third grade Alberta teacher Fay Chomik suggests encouraging a sense of ownership on the tour: “This is your school, your gymnasium, your lunch room...”

Prepare the Teacher. Let your child’s teacher know about any specifics about behaviour or health, such as a bladder infection. “You don’t want a child to have a bad experience because he’s asking to go to the bathroom every half hour and the teacher says, ‘No,’ thinking he doesn’t need to go so frequently but really he does,” explains Chomik.

Talk, Talk, Talk. “I try to think of all the positive things that they like about school and I talk about them as much as possible,” says Formaro. “I ask about friends they haven’t seen over the summer. I also look at my kids and note anything different that their friends will notice, such as a new hairstyle or if they’ve grown over the summer. I never mention homework or teachers they weren’t crazy about.”

Tanner Nelson notes that learning doesn’t stop when school does, so you need to convey, in a low-key way, how important learning is to you. “Be a role model throughout the year, not just during school time. For example, show how much you like reading, or talk about math and measuring when you’re making a recipe together.”

Chomik also suggests reading your kids school stories to get them ready for what to expect. Find reviewed book suggestions in Back to school books. And for the younger kids, it’s a good idea to explain the role of the teacher to your child. “Encourage the child to speak up and let the teacher know if they’re having problems. This is especially important if a child is getting bullied, which can happen even on the first day. They need to know they can, and should, talk to the teacher.”

Be Organized. Ease back-to-school anxiety by being prepared. Help your child to lay out her clothes and pack her backpack the night before. Be sure to include a healthy lunch and a snack that your child can open and eat on his own. For ideas, go to our best bagged lunches guide.

Take It Easy. Preparation is great—but don’t go overboard. “You can make back-to-school too big a deal!” laughs Tanner Nelson. If September was a hard month for you as a kid, it might not necessarily be the same for your child, and vice versa. You’re the best judge of when your child needs reassurance, and how to go about giving it. “In the end, remember that it’s normal to feel a little nervous or fluttery about that first week back. Everyone, including the teachers, feels like that,” she says.

I was forwarded this article the other day and was very excited as soon as I read the title. I believe that manners are one of the most important skills a child can learn in their elementary years.  It is the phrase that differentiates an accident from a deliberate move; the wording that causes friends to resume playing on the playground; and the catch phrase that showcases kindness.  As adults, we are living examples of what politeness looks like.  This article reminded me of the countless times that my mother would tell me to mind my manners.  I cannot imagine what I would be like today if she had not taken the time to emphasize how important it was to use manners, even when you think no one is watching. -RW

I guess I am on a resource kick right now with a desire to put out as many resources as possible to assist in behavioral challenges.  Here is a great resource for parents of younger students who may deal with challenges pertaining to Socialization, Tantrums, and General Behavior.

Children struggling anxiety disorders are particularly prone to difficulty when the new year of school is approaching. Understanding how child anxiety works and how it can be treated can make the transition far easier for both children and their parents and increases the child's opportunity for success throughout the school year. A newly released self-help program for children with anxiety by acclaimed author Rich Presta offers help during this critical transition.

Waunakee, WI (PRWEB) August 24, 2010

Summer is coming to an end, and children across America are once again strapping on their backpacks and heading off to school for the year. For most children, the beginning of school is met with the anticipation of seeing friends and having fun, but for children struggling with anxiety, it can be a difficult time for both the children as well as their parents.

Rich Presta, noted anxiety treatment authority has recently released The Anxiety-Free Child Program, a self-help resource for parents and children designed to help them better cope with and overcome the anxiety and fear that may be holding them back from living the childhood they were meant to have.

Children with excessive fear or anxiety disorders may all battle unique feelings, but one emotion is shared between them all, the coming of a new school year and the uncertainty it brings with it creates feeling of fear, nervousness, dread, and even panic. One of the leading resources developed for treating child anxiety at http://www.AnxietyFreeChildren.com cites research that indicates that as many as one in ten children may battle an anxiety disorder, which begs the question, “What can parents do to help their children with anxiety adjust during this critical time”?

Rich Presta, the author of the Anxiety-Free Child Program states, “It’s certainly understandable that parents and loved ones, especially those that haven’t suffered with anxiety in their own lives, feel frustrated, hopeless, confused, and a even afraid themselves because of their child's anxiety and their not knowing how to handle it appropriately. The single most important thing a parent can do if their child is having a challenge with their anxiety is to educate themselves and understand what their child is experiencing and what they can do about it. Unfortunately, what parents tend to gravitate toward as a solution, such as telling their children to suppress or ‘get over’ their feelings, or forcing them into situations their child may not be ready for, can actually make their child's anxiety worse, more pervasive, and difficult to treat.”

One of the key tenets of Presta’s acclaimed program is the criticality of getting to the root of what the child is actually afraid of underneath the anxious feeling bubbling to the surface. He points out that although the fear may be manifesting as resistance to starting school or even outright school refusal, what the child may be actually afraid of may not be school itself, but an aspect of the school environment, such as socializing, being away from parents, failure, or feeling inadequate in comparison to peers. This knowledge will allow the parent, along with a therapist or self-help program like the one he provides, to counter the habitual, negative, and irrational thinking that goes along with problematic anxiety.

Presta not only developed the Anxiety-Free Child Program, but is a former anxiety disorder sufferer himself and states, “As someone who lived with anxiety both as a child and adult and overcame it, I can say that simply understanding what is happening to the body during an anxious episode, and that there is a reason for it and it’s not clouded in mystery, can be incredibly therapeutic for both child and parent."

Rich Presta’s program for treating child anxiety and other resources for parents of children with anxiety, including a free email seminar on the topic can found on the Anxiety-Free Child Program website at http://www.AnxietyFreeChildren.com. His work has been showcased in Psychology Today and Natural Health magazines, as well as on TV such as CNN, MSNBC, and the Discovery Health Channel. Program author Presta added, “It’s critical to me personally that parents with children that need help have the opportunity to access the information they need to feel more comfortable in their ability to help their children overcome their fear, so I work hard to make it easy for anyone to learn the facts about their children's anxiety so they can get to work on assisting their children in putting their fears behind them and reclaiming the fun and happy childhood they deserve.”