Martha Putnam, Hanley Center Foundation, Coordinator of Adult Programs
What’s in your backpack? We have five backpacks lined up every night—ready to go for the next day. Sometimes they are stuffed full with books, laptop, notebooks, supplies etc. and other times they are slumped over because it was a light homework night.
But I wonder what else our kids are carrying around that weighs them down– fear of failure, bullying, self-doubt, bad grades, hard homework. If you don’t know what your child may be struggling with—ask them an open ended question like—what is really hard for you at school?
As parents we need to lighten their load and lift their spirits! What are practical ways to provide encouragement, self-confidence and a positive attitude to your child? This year I am writing a note each week for one of the kids and hiding it in their backpack—that way when they are unpacking their bag at school they get a surprise boost of encouragement from mom and dad. How do you instill positivity into your kids? Make sure to leave your comments on instilling positivity on the facebook post, #MomSays.
