Prevention for Parents
Keep Your Teen Drug-Free :: May '20 Issue
It’s All About Relationships
Points of interest
- Get wellness support now to minimize traumatic effects later
- Encourage your teen to use positive coping skills
- Managing screen time in a virtual world
How (and Why) to Get Support During the Pandemic
While this time of distancing may be a relief and an opportunity for rest for some, it is a time of burden and stress for many. This is true for children AND adults.
We may not feel an immediate threat, but the uncertainty of the pandemic affects most aspects of our lives and can be a traumatic experience.
We don’t have control over when things will return to normal, or what normal will look like when we start to rebuild our lives.
What we do have control over is how we manage the stress, anxiety, and tension now so that we minimize the lasting effects on us and our children later.
Take time to check in with your child and offer support. And, make sure you are taking time for wellness yourself. Kids learn best by our example.
There are so many resources being shared that it can be overwhelming. A good place to start is reaching out to your school counselors, who can direct you to parenting resources, mental health supports, and wellness practices for students and parents.
Accessing Counseling Services During Tele-Schooling
We want parents to know that the counseling teams at SMS are still providing services and are here to support students and families. Please reach out to us for anything you would normally seek help for. The best way to contact us is via email.
Email addresses are listed below. Additionally, Kelly Giles will be available by phone on a confidential, remote line to support students and parents.
Let your student know you are there for them and that this time of uncertainty will end eventually. They will need time to process it all, and it hits everyone at different times.
Jennifer.cowan@bellinghamschools.org
Coco.besson@bellinghamschools.org
Encourage Positive Coping Skills
The extra time you are spending at home with your teen can be a good time to see which coping skills they tend to use and teach them some new ways to deal with things if they need more skills in their repertoire.
Here are negative coping skills to watch for:
- Escape/isolation
- Numbing
- Substance use
- Self-harm
- Unsafe risk taking
Here are some positive coping skills to promote:
- Seeking support
- Relaxation activities
- Problem-solving
- Humor
- Physical activity
Managing Screen Time
Many students already struggle to limit their time on screens– and since COVID-19 hit they have been asked to spend even more time online.
Now is a great time to talk about setting healthy boundaries with technology and teach them to be intentional with their time.
Screen time is different for each family and there isn’t one right way to do things. Here are some general tips for talking with your teen when establishing boundaries:
Ask them what they think
- Come up with a schedule/time limit together (rather than imposing a limit on them)
- Tell them why you want them to set boundaries
- Set limits for yourself too (kids do what we do, not what we tell them!)
From the Author
Hi! I’m Kelly Giles and I work at Shuksan Middle School as a Student Assistance Professional (SAP), doing drug and alcohol prevention and interventions.
A big part of my job is building relationships with students because we know adults play a huge role in influencing healthy choices.
I love to partner with parents, too! Please get in touch if you are worried about a student. Send me any ideas you'd like to see in upcoming issues via email.
Thank you for all you do for our young people, it matters!
Kelly Giles
Student Assistance Professional (SAP)
Shuksan Middle School
Northwest ESD 189
Email: kgiles@nwesd.org
Website: https://shuksan.bellinghamschools.org/
Phone: 360-676- 6470