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INVESTOR NEWSLETTER ISSUE N°3 FALL 2007

Every MindMatters

THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

This Issue: The School-Age Child

___________________•PFCProgramNews:ParenEngtheSchool-AgeChild7–12•PFCResearchNews:TheDeclineofPlayandRiseofStressinChildren•Hand-outforParents:YourSchool-AgeChild

Whereyoursupportgoes

Pleasehelpusdothisimportantwork!Goto

www.psychologyfoundaEon.organdclickon“Donate.”

PSYCHOLOGYFOUNDATIONOFCANADA psychologyfoundaEon.org

ThePsychologyFounda1onofCanadaisana&onalregisteredcharitydedicatedtoapplyingthebestpsychologicalknowledgetocreateprac&calprogramshelpingchildrenbecomeconfidentandproduc&veadults.Ourini&a&vesincludecrea&ngeduca&onal

resources,developingtrainingprogramsforprofessionals,anddeliveringcommunity-basededuca&on.

2St.ClairAve.East,Suite800,Toronto,ONM4T2T5,www.psychologyfounda&on.org

SummerGree1ngsSUMMERISFINALLYhereandwehopethateveryonetakestheopportunityformuch-neededrelaxaEon.TheworkoftheFoundaEonconEnuesandwearehappytosaythatthreecommuniEesareworkingwithusundertheaegisoftheTrilliumproject:theFirstNaEonscommuniEesinFortHopeandWeagamow,andtheAfghancommunityinthegreaterTorontoarea.

OurannualMeeEnginJunewasanoccasiontowelcomenewtrustees:LeanneLewis,apassionateand

experiencedadvocateforparents,familiesandyouth;andDr.LeslieAtkinsonfromRyerson,Dr.YvonneBohrfromYork,andDr.DavidDantofromGuelph-Humber,allexpertsonchildpsychology.Wesaidgoodbye,withregretandthanks,toDr.MarEnAntonyofRyerson,whoheadsoutonayear’ssabbaEcal.

ThankstoeveryonewhoparEcipatedonstageorintheaudienceatourwonderfulnightofRockingtheBluesAwayatKoernerHall.SpecialthanksagaintoAndreaFreedmanIscoe,themusicians,ourstaffandthemanyvolunteerswhomadetheeventrunsosmoothly.

WecannowlookforwardtoourAnnualBreakfastforChampionsattheTorontoBoardofTradeonWednesday,November30.Savethedate!Welookforwardtoseeingyouthere.

UnElthen,haveagreatsummer!

SUMMER 2016

HarrietLewis,President

Workplace*Mental*Health*

Kids*Have*Stress*Too!**

Admin*

Paren;ng*for*Life*

Make*the*Connec;on**

“CONFIDENT KIDS, PRODUCTIVE ADULTS”

INVESTOR NEWSLETTER ISSUE N°3 FALL 2007

IN2005,WHILELOOKINGforwaystoexpandouraward-winningParen&ngforLifeprogram,weundertookasurveyofavailableparenEngprogramsandmaterialsinordertoidenEfypotenEalgapsinparenEngresources.Oursurveyrevealedthatwhilemanymaterialsandcurriculafocusedontheearlyyears(0–6)andadolescence(13–19years),therewasalackofcontentdesignedtosupportthedevelopmentofschool-agechildren(7–12).

Tofillthisgap,weworkedinpartnershipwithYorktownFamilyServicestodevelopParen&ngtheSchool-AgeChild7-12Years,aparenteducaEoncurriculumdesignedtohelpparentsnavigatethedevelopmentalchangesandshihingparenEngrolesoftheelementaryschoolyears.TheprogramcontentandFacilitator’sGuideweredevelopedin2006andfield-testedbyanexpertteamofpsychologists,childmentalhealthprofessionalsandparenteducators.Thecontentwasthenrevisedandthesecond(andcurrent)versionwaspublishedin2008.

TheFacilitator’sGuideprovideseverythingparenteducatorsneedtodeliverthecoursetoparents,

includingdetailedinstrucEonsandworksheetsforlearners.Thecoursecoverskeydevelopmentaltopics,suchaspromoEngindependenceandself-esteem,developmentalchanges,social-emoEonalchanges,parenEngstyles,buildingharmonyathomeandresolvingconflict.Paren&ngtheSchool-AgedChild7-12Yearshasbeenusedbyparenteducatorsinseveralprovinces,includingOntario,NewBrunswickandNewfoundlandandLabrador.TheFacilitator’sGuidecanbeorderedbyvisiEngtheResourcespageonourwebsite.

Paren&ngtheSchool-AgedChild7-12YearswassponsoredbyKODAKCanadaandTheGordonBellFoundaEonforAddicEonPrevenEon.

PSYCHOLOGYFOUNDATIONOFCANADA psychologyfoundaEon.org

PFCPROGRAMNEWS

Paren1ngtheSchool-AgeChild7–12Years

Forinforma1onaboutlocaltrainingevents,pleasecontact:Na1onalandCentralRegion(ON,MB):AnneMurray,KidsHaveStressToo!®LeadTrainerandProgramConsultant,416-930-2080annemurray@psychologyfoundaEon.orgBarbaraMacKayWard,MaketheConnecEonandParenEngforLifeProgramManager,416-644-4944,x2050barb@psychologyfoundaEon.orgWesternRegion(BC,AB,SK,NWT):CindyAndrew,250-391-8452cindypandrew@psychologyfoundaEon.orgQuebec(andFrenchservices):PauleGiguère,819-772-8376paulegiguere@psychologyfoundaEon.orgAtlan1cRegion(NB,NS,PEI,NL):MargieFowler,902-440-3280margie.fowler@psychologyfoundaEon.org

Ourregionalrepresenta1ves SAVE THE DATE!

OurBreakfastforChampionswilltakeplaceonWednesday,November30,attheTorontoBoardofTrade.

TheguestspeakerforthiseventisDr.CoreyKeyes,amentalhealthexpertfromEmoryUniversity.Welookforwardtoseeingyouthere!

INVESTOR NEWSLETTER ISSUE N°3 FALL 2007

RECENTRESEARCHhasshownaworryingtrendinthedirecEonofmarkedlyincreasedstressfortoday’schildrenandyoungpeople.In2000,psychologistJeanTwenge,ofSanDiegoStateUniversity,reportedthatanxietylevelsin“normal”childrenwerehigherthanthoseofpsychiatricpopulaEonsfromthe1950s.Moreover,children’sanxietylevelswerehigherinthe2000sthantheywereduringtheGreatDepressionofthe1930s,whenmanyfamiliesweredealingwithsevereeconomicstressesandinsecurity.

Someofthisincreaseinself-reportedstressintoday’schildrenandyouthmaybeduetoincreasedpublicawarenessanddiscussionofstressandanxiety.But,evenso,thetrendissEllalarmingandsomeresearchersarelookingforexplanaEons.

OneveryinteresEnganalysiscomesfromPeterGray,apsychologistatBostonCollege,wholinkstheriseinpsychopathologyinAmericanchildrentoacorrespondingdeclineinfree,unstructuredplay.Ina2011arEclepublishedintheAmericanJournalofPlay,Graycitesresearchfindingsthatbuildacompellingcaseforhisargument.

• Children’sfreeplay–playthatisnotcontrolledorstructuredbyadultsandwherechildrendecidewhattodo–hasbeeninsteadydeclinesinceitspeakinthe1950s.Evenbetween1981and1997,therewasa25percentdecreaseintheamountofEmeAmericanchildrenspentplaying,basedon

reportsfromalargerepresentaEvesampleofAmericanparents.

•Ina2004survey,70percentofmothersreportedthattheyhadplayedoutdoorsdailyaschildren,whileonly31percentsaidtheirownchildrenplayedoutdoorseveryday.

•AnotherinternaEonalsurveyfoundthatmothersunderstoodthelinkbetweenoutdoorplayandchildren’shappiness.JustoverhalfofmotherssurveyedsaidthatplayingoutsideataplaygroundorparkwastheacEvitythatmadetheirchildrenthehappiest.

GrayidenEfiesfivewaysthatfreeplaypromoteschildren’smental

health.“Playhelpschildrena)developintrinsicinterestsandcompetencies;(b)learnhowtomakedecisions,solveproblems,exertself-control,andfollowrules;(c)learntoregulatetheiremoEons;(d)makefriendsandlearntogetalongwithothersasequals;and(e)experiencejoy.”

Grayarguesthatthisdeclineinplayispartofthereasonthat“fivetoeightEmesasmanyyoungpeopletodayhavescoresabovethecutoffforadiagnosisofclinicallysignificantanxietyordepressivedisorderthanwasthecasehalfacenturyago.”Heconcludesthatrestoringfreeplayis“notonlythebestgihwecouldgiveourchildren,itisalsoanessenEalgihifwewantthemtogrowintopsychogicallyhealthyandemoEonallycompetentadults.”

ThefulltextofDr.Gray’sarEcleisavailableonline.

PSYCHOLOGYFOUNDATIONOFCANADA psychologyfoundaEon.org

Research News

TheDeclineofPlayandtheRiseofStressinChildren

Children’sfreeplayhasbeeninsteadydeclinesinceitspeakinthe1950s,whileanxietylevelsarehigherthantheywereduringtheGreatDepression.

Dr.Gray’smostrecent

book,FreetoLearn:Why

unleashingtheins&nctto

playwillmakeour

childrenhappier,more

self-reliant,andbeSer

studentsforlife,is

publishedbyBasicBooks.

INVESTOR NEWSLETTER ISSUE N°3 FALL 2007

ONCECHILDRENSTARTgoingtoschool,theirworldchanges.TheystartspendingmoreEmeawayfromyou,andtheyaremoreinfluencedbyfriendsandteachers.Sotheirneeds,andyourparenEngrole,alsochange.HerearesomekeyideasforparenEngyourschool-agechild.

Play–especiallyfreeplay–isimportantComparedtopastgeneraEons,today’schildrenspendmoreEmeplayingelectronicgamesandwatchingTV,andmoreoftheiracEviEesareorganizedbyadults.Butfree,unstructuredplayisveryimportant;ithelpschildren:

• Learnhowtomakedecisions• Learnhowtogetalongwithothers• Recoverfromstress• Developskills• Experiencejoy

Sotrytogiveyourchildanopportunitytoplayeveryday,ifpossible.

EncourageindependenceDuringtheelementaryschoolyears,childrenwantmoreindependenceandtheyneedtostartlearninghowtohandleit.

• Letyourchildmakeage-appropriatechoices.• Giveyourchildchancestothinkandtosolvehisownproblems,insteadofalwaysprovidinginstantsoluEons.

• Showyourchildhowtobeincreasinglyindependentinasafeandresponsibleway.

BestressawareResearchshowsthattoday’schildrenhavehigherlevelsofstressthaninthepast.Parentshaveanimportantroletoplayinhelpingchildrendealwithstress.

Whenyourchildisupsetormisbehaving,trytodevelopthehabitofaskingyourself.,“Whyismychildactinglikethis?Coulditbestress?”

Ifyoucanfigureoutwhatisstressingyourchild,dealwiththatfirstbeforeturningtodiscipline.Children

understressaremuchlessabletocontrolthemselves,listenwell,acceptconsequencesorlearn.

Keepconnec1ngAschildrenmatureandspendmoreEmeawayfromus,wemayneedtoworkhardertokeepastrongconnecEon:

• Bereadytolistenwhensheisreadytotalk.• Showaninterestinyourchild’sinterestsandconcerns.

• Showyourchildthatyoulikeherandenjoyhercompany.WespendalotofEmetelling,remindingandcriEcizing.TalkaboutherposiEvequaliEes,too.

Teachnego1a1onandconflictskillsStartnowtodevelopthenegoEaEonandconflictskillsyouwillbothneedduringtheteenyears:

• Don’tforgettolistenaswellastalk.• Useshortphraseswhenremindingyourchild.Say,“Cassie,boots,”ratherthan“Cassie,ifIhavetotellyouonemoreEmetoputawayyourbootsI’ll…”

• Letyourchildren“win”someEmes,whentheyhavenegoEatedwell(andpolitely)andcanshowyoutheyhaveagoodplan.

• WhentheissueisnotnegoEable,offeryourchildalternaEves.“Youhavetodoyourhomework,butyoucaneitherdoitnoworrightahersupper.”

• Trytorespondtoyourchild’sbehaviourinwaysthatdon’tpromoteconflict.BewillingtonegoEate–butremember,you’resElltheparent.

Hand-outforParents

YOURSCHOOL-AGECHILD

PSYCHOLOGYFOUNDATIONOFCANADA psychologyfoundaEon.org