Enriched Family Back-to-School and Work Special Feature

Back-to-school is upon us. Many of you parents may also be returning to the office for the first time since the pandemic. Given all of these new beginnings in the very specific time period of an ongoing pandemic, I wanted to create a special "Back-to-School & Office" blog post as I understand this transition may be a bit bumpy for us all. A key way that our family eases transition anxiety is through preparation and organization. I hope the Enriched Family Back-to-School and Back-to-Office Checklists are helpful to your family. Not all the steps will apply, particularly if your kiddos are starting out remote, but hopefully the checklists are good templates that you can adjust to your family’s needs. I have also highlighted a few Enriched Family blog posts from years past that will be helpful during this time of transition. Pick and choose what is relevant to you today …. Finally, check out the Enriched Family Quick Picks and the special discount on services we are running in August and September.

Enriched Family Roundup: Alternative Schooling Options for the Fall

Austin parents, we have had a hard past few months and it doesn’t look like things are going to get much easier. After 4+ months of quarantine (to greater or lesser degrees), COVID rates in Texas are skyrocketing, and city, county, and state officials are considering a return to lockdown to prevent the ongoing spread. Having juggled online schooling, work, and childcare during the spring semester, it seems we will be back at it come fall. On July 14th, the City of Austin and Travis County enacted a joint order banning in-person classes for all schools through September 7th. What this means is that all students in the affected districts will shift to remote learning again, for at least the first three weeks of school, including students in the Austin Independent School District (AISD), Del Valle ISD, Eanes ISD, Lago Vista ISD, Lake Travis ISD, Manor ISD, Pflugerville ISD, and all other public school districts in the city limits and county of Travis. It is unclear what will happen beyond September 7th. If COVID has taught us anything, it is to not try to look too hard into the future as things are always changing. While I don’t want to be “gloom and doom”, it is important to acknowledge that this situation poses immense hardships for all parents, but particularly for working parents.

This post, therefore, is focused on rounding up a variety of alternative schooling options for the fall that parents can consider, whether temporarily (until in-person schooling starts again) or for the full fall semester and potentially longer. Options include a discussion of and resources on homeschooling; pod-type learning environments; nannies/tutors; small, private preschools or kindergarten programs; and YMCA child care for essential workers (a good option for the fall if your children are not yet of school age or if you need some summer childcare).

Parenting with Anxiety

I have managed anxiety (and periodic depression), to greater or lesser degrees, for most of my life. Nevertheless, I did not recognize my anxiety as a mental health issue for many years. For much of my life, I felt a sense of shame about my anxiety. I told myself if I was … fill in the blank … stronger, smarter, more resilient … I could “handle” my anxiety. It took age and experience to come to terms with knowing that I am incredibly strong, smart, and resilient, but sometimes anxiety still handles me. It wasn’t until I had my own children and they began to have some signs of anxiety that I recognized how intense my anxiety was from an early age.

While my anxiety is a challenge, it also comes with unique gifts. I am very sensitive and empathetic to other people’s emotions. I am a list-maker and planner extraordinaire. My hyper vigilance makes me a very safe and reliable person, as well as extremely detail-oriented and organized. I am an incredibly hard worker, highly focused, and push myself to excel. I also have a strong sense of responsibility. While these traits have many positives, they are also fairly exhausting at times.

Who knew that another gift of lifelong anxiety would be that it prepared me – at least to a certain extent – to deal with a pandemic? For me, the sky was always falling. Only now, everyone else sees it too. Oddly, there is a sense of comfort in knowing I am not alone in dealing with anxiety these days. So, if you have been dealing with anxiety all your life or are new to experiencing anxiety largely as a result of the COVID-19 situation and/or the current racial, economic, and social tumult in the United States, you are not alone. Maybe you don’t have anxiety, but someone you love does or you are parenting a child or adolescent with anxiety. This post is for you. While in no way meant to provide medical advice, this post provides salient information and resources related to anxiety from well-respected, credible sources. Given the ongoing issues of racial injustice and police brutality in our country, and in honor of July being Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, I have also included a number of resources specifically for Black communities and People of Color.

Enriched Family Guest Blog Post for Alt Ed Austin--Summer Engagement Ideas for Teens

Hey y’all. I wrote a guest blog post for Alt Ed Austin, a great local organization which provides information and consultation services on Alternative Education resources in and around Austin. The guest blog post focuses on summer engagement ideas for teens. Here is a snippet:

In my work with families, I often hear how difficult it is for parents to ensure that their teenagers are engaged over the summer break. Many parents have pointed out that it is hard to find camps whose programming is tailored to this age group, and often teens think of camps as being for “little kids” and are therefore resistant to attending. In this brief article, I focus on several local summer teen engagement resources, including camps that offer Counselor-in-Training (CIT) programs, as well as suggestions for volunteer, internship, and job opportunities…

Free Online Parenting Resource: The Happy Child Summit, April 8-11, 2019

I want to share a free resource that may be helpful to your family, a friend's family, or to the families you work with: The Happy Child Summit presented by GoZen! | Live Happy | and Engaging Education & Events. The Happy Child Summit builds on the science of positive psychology, helps you understand the latest research and gives you the practical tools that you can use and pass on. Experts will be discussing how you can help your children live happier, more fulfilling lives through the following themes: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Achievement, Health & Vitality. Watch 20 experts offer advice, strategies, practical ideas and coping skills for your child and you!

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