By Lexie Blakeman
News Editor
The Thelma McMillen Recovery Center set up a three-part online workshop series along with South Bay Families Connected.
In this workshop, several high school students from Costa shared what stresses them out, how they cope and how parents can help. This South Bay Families Connected video had several students talk about what their parents can do to make their kids’ lives less stressful.The purpose of thise series is to give parents resources to help their children.
“I usually talk more to my parents right when I’m going to bed when I’m done with everything,” said junior Alexa Ressler. “That way I don’t feel pressured to talk to them right after school and I can actually have good conversation with them.”
The MCHS Families Connected website was developed to offer Costa families a single location where they can access parent education events in the community, as well as local and national teen wellness resources and information that aim to support the community. Educators and parents have a shared goal of keeping students on a healthy path to maturity and adulthood.
“As a parent, you need to make sure you accept, honor and validate your child’s feelings,” said Dr. Moe Gelbart. “It’s important to be honest with your children and encouraging, while at the same time being realistic with them.”
According to the Stanford Study of Student Experiences Report, a survey done of Costa students earlier this year through Challenge Success suggests that students are getting far below the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep per night. The 2,100 students who responded to the survey reported getting, on average, about 6.5 hours of sleep each night.
“One day of shortened sleep can be made up by a nap or sleeping longer the next day, but a week of shortened sleep cannot be made up by sleeping in on the weekend,” says Dr. Linda Schack, a doctor of adolescent medicine and a member of the MBUSD Medical Advisory Board. “Napping is better than nothing, but if it is done too late in the day and for too long, it will only make the person less sleepy at bedtime.”
The last part in this three-part series will speak on “Building Resilience & Paving a Path for Success: Tips for Parents.” The third seminar will take place on May 27 from 6 to 7 p.m.
“We as parents need to ground ourselves first before we work to help our kids with anything,” said Art Therapist Anna Pirkl. “If we don’t, it’s really common for parents to pour their stress onto their children when they’re around them.”
Leave a Reply