School gets even busier over this last month, and many students feel overwhelmed and also get ill. You can support your students’ health and well-being by modeling healthy habits. Another helpful strategy (though not intuitive in our fast-paced culture) is to assist them in scheduling rest breaks to pace themselves. This will help them practice being grounded and help prevent overwhelm. It’s like helping them “put their seatbelts on” – strapping in to stay safe.
But also think about what happens when they take “their seatbelts off”. When students finish AP tests and finals, when the weekend comes, and when they finish school and graduate, they often rush to “take their seatbelts off”. Please remember that parents are the #1 influence on their kids’ decisions to (OR NOT TO) engage in risky behavior. So consider the opportunity you have to connect with you students about:
- Boundaries, family values, and rules and expectations about alcohol and other risky behaviors.
- Ways to say “NO” to negative peer pressure, including underage drinking.
- Reminders about rules of the road – always wearing a seatbelt, obeying the speed limits, and never driving drunk or impaired or getting in the vehicle with someone who has been drinking, or who has used another impairing substance, or does not have a legal license to drive other passengers.
- Knowing a way out of a sticky situation and emphasizing that safety is most important. (We often talk about how it isn’t the first bad decision that is the problem, it’s the second one.)
Parents, please remember to talk with your teens about making calculated, mindful decisions at the end of the year, graduation, and beyond. Along with educators, community leaders, and other trusted adults, we are making strides to eliminate underage drinking and make our roads safer. Let’s keep up the great work as we celebrate the moments that matter over the next few months! responsibility.org
Please reach out to me for any support your students or family might need. You can access the medical forms page on my website HERE.
My office hours are:
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and some* Thursdays
Tuesdays & Thursdays: 8am – 3:50pm
Wednesdays: 7:30am – 3:20pm
Dvora Citron, RN, MS
dcitron@auhsdschools.org, 925-280-2970 x7128
IG: acalanesschoolnurse, School Nurse Website
