The 2024-2025 school year has officially commenced, leaving students filled with excitement as to its possibilities and parents wondering how to ensure their children have an excellent school year. Supporting your student is understood, but what is the best way to support your student through stress, balancing school and after-school activities, and other challenges?
Stress continues to be one of the most prominent hurdles for every student throughout the school year. Homework, tests, and the endless amount of studying necessary to succeed can often cause a great deal of stress for a student. Kelsie Hood, the director of school counseling at Cornerstone Prep, suggests placing an emphasis on healthy coping habits. “Do what is ‘refreshing’ to your soul,” Hood advises. “Take time away from devices and engage in activities you enjoy. Whether it's taking a walk, practicing an instrument, journaling, or reading a book, take 20 minutes! It will be much more refreshing than scrolling through your screens.” By encouraging students to engage in these habits, parents can help them build resilience against stress. Also, encouraging these habits before the stress of school becomes overwhelming makes it easier for students to utilize them effectively when needed.
In addition to healthy coping habits, it is important to remind your child that grades are not the ultimate definition of success. While students should be encouraged to acquire good grades, it is important to remind the student that a number does not define them. Some students are better test-takers than others, and it is important to remind the student not to compare themselves to others. All a student can do is perform to the best of their abilities, and it is important to remind them that as long as they have done so, they are indeed successful. This helps eliminate the stress of being “perfect” in terms of being judged simply by a number.
To prepare for the rest of the school year, Hood further advises students to “Find something you're passionate about and hone in on it. Make use of the opportunities that are given to you.” This includes taking advantage of events such as the college and career fair Cornerstone Prep is hosting for the Acworth community on October 7th. Such events are designed to engage students in educational pathways and cultivate learning within the context of career opportunities. By participating in these events, students can explore their interests and gain valuable insights into potential future careers.
Enhancing the opportunity for an excellent school year for your student can range from assisting them with their homework, such as guiding them through a complicated math problem or proofreading an English paper, to encouraging them to engage in healthy coping habits to alleviate the stress homework and tests inflict. Ultimately, though, the best way to ensure an excellent and successful school year is to simply ask your student what kind of support they need and then support them in the manner in which they ask.
“Find something you're passionate about and hone in on it. Make use of the opportunities that are given to you.”