Back-to-School Time

Teri Ann Cox
Executive Director of The Children’s Center

Dear Center Families,

My August newsletters of the past have been themed around thinking about your child’s “back to school” transition. But for those of us with school age children, managing our own stress level goes way beyond “getting back into the routine” because frankly we do not know what that routine will look like. As I write this, many area school boards still need to meet and decide on what “reopening” even looks like. Like you, I do not have a definite direction for my own rising junior’s plans.

What I do know is that if I can manage my own worry, it will help with my son’s thinking. Lynn Lyons, a therapist who helps parents manage anxiety, recently posted a podcast focused on fall that we shared to our own Facebook page. She says, “There’s a big difference between worry and problem solving. Worry does not protect you or your family.”
You can watch more here: https://www.facebook.com/TheChildrensCenterNH/posts/3126241604161820

In my home, we have been focusing on what we can control (eating healthy foods from the local farmer’s market), what decisions we can make (ordering mask designs that are “cool” for an almost 17 year old and someone who works with small children), and what personal goals might look like for the new school year (becoming a better writer and passing a driver’s ed exam to making sure we have a multicultural rich approach to our curriculum at the Center). We also occasionally brainstorm “back up plans,” which I know I have asked you as parents to do in the event we have to unexpectedly and temporarily close as we continue to live through the pandemic. Having a “Plan B” is good.

Soon initial plans will start falling into place as we each weigh options and figure out what our family’s fall schedules will be. Childcare for all working families, including school employees, is a huge problem that crosses district boundaries. Frankly, it is a not just a statewide problem, but a national one. Knowing that our school age “slots” are limited given our ECCP health and safety restrictions, the Center will do its best to partner with employers and community resources to help working families find backup child care solutions for their school age children as the school year unfolds.

In this together,
Teri Ann