Resources for School Success

 Happy Fall!

For those of you in school or have a close friend or family member attending school this year, I hope it has been a successful and enjoyable start.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an excellent resource for parents and young adults to navigate common concerns and issues that may arise for students. I have selected three articles that highlight research as well as recommendations for understanding IEPs and 504 Plans, media policies, and adolescent school success.

IEPs and 504 Plans: A Guide to School Supports for Your Child

School Cell Phone Policies: Tips for Families

How to Help Your Teen Succeed in School: Sleep, Study Habits & More

My hope is that you will utilize these resources for understanding these important topics and reach out to a mental health provider with any questions or for support.

Toy Story and Tech

 In a follow up to my earlier post about the most recent Toy Story movie, I am sharing this creative application of how the film inspires recommendations for families: 

Tech Tips – Toy Story Style

These techniques are also applicable for adults, so we can benefit from an evaluation of our relationship with rapidly advancing and changing technology.

I hope for a meaningful use of technology for us all.

Summer Social Connections

 One of my favorite parts of summertime is connecting with others. People are walking around in their neighborhoods, kids are out from school and playing in the street or going for bike rides, and new friends are made at camps, work retreats, at the beach or park, or just around in their own neighborhood. 

This summer has been especially cool as there have been some historic shared experiences in the sports world that impacted many people who are not typically sports fans (me included!) but brought together wonderful connections. Locally in NY, the Knicks winning the NBA finals was exciting for people of all ages. This was marked by midnight trips to the sporting goods store and running into friends and other families while waiting on a very long line together as well as kids staying up way past bedtime to watch and adults getting together at local restaurants or homes for watch parties. Strangers were expressing hope for wins in a certain number of games to people they saw wearing Knicks gear during the series, and conversations with new people occurred. Additionally, the US hosting the World Cup was a fun and unique experience for many. As expected, soccer fans competed for tickets for months and families wore jerseys from their favorite or home countries, which helped connect people from different backgrounds together. Many laughed and enjoyed watching videos of athletes from outside our country experience America for the first time as they tried foods (looking at you Ranch dressing!) or visited new places.  Being able to share in their experience of novelty was contagious!

These two examples represent how shared experiences can connect us, sometimes in surprising ways. Perhaps you may learn something about yourself or someone else. Maybe you discover a new joy watching sports, want to give playing a try, or you want to have more time with friends. Maybe you want to travel, learn more about other cultures, or try new foods. 

I am excited to see what other shared experiences may be occurring in the future and how we will all connect with each other.

Toy Story 5: Toys and Technology

Can you remember the thrill of childhood play? The joy of imagining different worlds and characters, making up skits or games, and of meeting new friends and discovering new areas in your neighborhood. Can you recall the autonomy of being able to do this on your own with your own amazing childhood skills? 

The film series Toy Story does a beautiful job of illustrating the joys of childhood play. The most recent movie, Toy Story 5, depicts the change of childhood play in the context of what they call “Tech.” The characters are saddened by the amount of children stuck inside, alone, and with their faces illuminated by bright lights coming from screens. The toys mourn the loss of group play, and become concerned about how difficult it is for kids to connect with each other. 

Being careful to avoid spoilers, I would like to express my gratitude to the filmmakers who successfully illustrated a very real concern among our youth. Throughout the movie, relevant themes and issues are explored in a child-friendly way that I hope will encourage more people to put down their devices and engage in old-fashioned play with each other. 

We see how difficult it is as parents to make intentional decisions for giving access to Tech to our children and teens. This is displayed in the movie with the struggle many parents feel that the only way their child can stay connected to others is with a device that will allow them to be part of group chats, games, and social media. The film demonstrated how this decision can expose our youth to distressing content, negative social experiences, bullying and unkind behavior that is happening literally right next to parents. This is one example that suggests the importance of parents knowing what their children and teens are engaging with and/or consuming online. 

The use of humor is evident, which the kids truly appreciate (as do I). Humor is a wonderful tool for coping with challenging or difficult situations, as well as making the film enjoyable and providing some comic relief. Toy Story 5 also reminds us that our decisions matter, and that our connections to others matter. Re-discovering the joy of pretend play is fantastic!

It is important to also note that this film accurately reflects the importance of technology, and that there are great possibilities and functions when used appropriately. As human beings, we have our own agency with how and when we engage with technology.

For me, the most touching part of the movie was both included in a major plot lesson and reflected in the end credits as a statement of gratitude and dedication: "Dedicated to our loved ones, past and present, who were there for us at the right time. You mattered."

I hope you enjoy this movie and now go play (adults too)!