Plus, keeping your kid positive, Big Cats Week, what does school mean?
|  | Sunday, September 6, 2020 | | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY IMGORTHAND / GETTY IMAGES | | By Laura Goertzel, KIDS AND FAMILY Digital Director
Virtual school has started in our community and the mom network is kicking into high gear. Parents are reaching out to each other with frantic questions about class schedules, Wi-Fi boosters, and the best office furniture for elementary students.
The big scramble at our house was setting up the kids’ virtual learning spaces. (We're still waiting on new chairs!)
My middle-schooler’s room has a fresh coat of paint and she took down the tattered old posters—even that once-beloved Harry Potter one. She's going for a clean look. That's exactly what Ebony Terrell Shockley, executive director of Teacher Education at the University of Maryland, suggests for virtual learners in a Nat Geo article about preparing for school this year.
My son insists on displaying a non-working rotary phone and a crank-up radio on his new desk. As long as there’s space for his laptop and books, and his old-timey decor doesn't become a distraction, I'm fine with it. But I'll be looking out for other things as the school year gets underway. As Nat Geo’s Vicky Hallett reports, constant butt shifting, eyes glazing over, and repeated calls for parental attention can be signs that your kids need to refocus their attention. Hallett shares strategies to help.
Difficulty focusing has a lot to do with kids’ brain chemistry. Timothy Verduin, director of the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity and Behavior Disorders Service at NYU Langone’s Child Study Center, explains that pleasurable activities tend to trigger dopamine activity and that can keep kids on task. When kids are absorbed in activities that they love doing, they can focus for hours, but following along with a video lesson rarely helps create a heavenly state of “flow.”
So, looks like I’ll be stepping in—during school hours, at least—if my son starts dialing his phone in hopes of having a long conversation with someone from the past.
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| | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY JOSE LUIS PELAEZ INC / GETTY IMAGES | | ‘Fine’: That might be your kid’s answer to just about every “how-was” question. But mental health experts say these days parents need to probe deeper, as pandemic isolation from friends and family might be putting children at a higher risk for anxiety and depression. Things that might help: Make your own mental health a top priority, acknowledge your kid’s feelings (no matter how irrational the meltdown over a broken cracker might seem), and check in on their feelings regularly—not just when you think there might be a problem. (Here are some ideas on how to keep kids positive.) “Having normal conversations around feelings and emotions and just making that part of family discussions really destigmatizes it,” says Carla Marin, a child and adolescent psychologist at the Yale School of Medicine, in this Nat Geo article about talking to kids about their mental health.
Family discussion: What does school mean? Is it a building? A teacher? A set of topics? A set of open-ended questions can get beyond the usual “how was school today” query. You may follow up on small adjustments required, from concentration tips for remote classes to simply getting used to wearing shoes again if your child is back in a physical school all day.
Downtime: Is your kid looking for a quiet, relaxing break after a day of learning? Our Animals editor, Rachael Bale, chills out with the sound of water at Alaska’s Brooks Falls—and the sight of brown bears scooping leaping sockeye salmon from the world’s biggest salmon run. Here’s a six-minute highlight (Note: It includes a bear munching on a fish). Nat Geo subscribers can see how cameras strapped on animals give insights into their lives.
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| TRY THIS: BOREDOM BUSTERS FOR KIDS | |
 | | ILLUSTRATION BY GENEVA BOWERS | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY © 2020 DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | |
Get into history! No one knows if Mulan—the ancient Chinese warrior who fought disguised as a man—actually existed, but the character can still inspire children to learn about history and geography. For instance, kids might not know that the movie (above) was inspired by a sixth-century poem called “The Ballad of Mulan,” or that chopsticks were developed 5,000 years ago—for cooking, not for eating. (This Mulan activity pack might inspire more exploration.) Check out these other movies that may encourage kids to learn more about history. (Note: The live-action Mulan, rated PG-13, is available to Disney+ subscribers who unlock Premier Access. Stream Now. The Walt Disney Company is majority owner of National Geographic Partners.)
This newsletter was edited and curated by David Beard, Rachel Buchholz, and Laura Goertzel. Rachel will be back for next week's newsletter. Have a healthy and a sane (as possible) week ahead! | | | |
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