Back to School Tips from GSNC

Going back to school means plenty of great opportunities for girls, including new friends, new knowledge, and new experiences. However, it also means encountering both old and new stressors. The Girl Scouts of Nassau County is dedicated to educating girls and adults about some of these issues, including bullying, healthy relationships, body image and conflict resolution.

The Girl Scouts of Nassau County has compiled the following tips to help you and your children deal with these issues.

If your child has trouble managing her time:

• Work with your child to create a daily schedule. Make a time table with each hour and activity of the day. Be sure to devote at least 8 hours to sleep!
• Ask your child about the activities that are most important to her. Make sure to devote time to those activities and be prepared to cut down on some of the less important activities.
• Children (and adults) need unscheduled time to relax, be with friends, read and explore their creativity. They also need time each day where they are not “plugged-in” to the electronic world. (this could be part of the first bullet??)

To protect your child’s digital safety:

• Collect all cell phones when it is time to go to bed so children’s sleep is not disturbed by text messages, internet, etc.
• Talk with your children about being a digitally responsible citizen. They can find ways around all of the controls you set up, like creating multiple Facebook accounts or blocking your account so you can’t see what they post about themselves. Talk with them about your rules and why you set them up so they understand the repercussions of their actions.

If a child is a victim of bullying:

• Listen to her. Let her tell you the full story before you react.
• Discuss ways to resolve the situation with her. Create a plan you both can support.
• Do not hesitate to seek help from school officials. All children are entitled to be in a safe school environment.

If a child is a bully:

• Ask her to recount the situation in her own words. Let her tell you the story before you react.
• Find out why she bullied and how it made her feel. Explore other ways to address these feelings with her.

To help girls develop a positive body image:

• Examine your own body image and how it might influence girls; the way that you speak about your own body and how you perceive others to look will greatly influence your children.
• Lead a healthy lifestyle with girls, modeling good eating and physical activity