March 2025 Newsletter

RESEARCH

The word, research, is one of the most important words you need to have in your vocabulary. 

Whenever you embark on a project, whether getting a new vacuum cleaner, shopping for clothes, comparing prices on a medication, you are doing research. When it comes to finding a new school, where to live, what doctor to use, we use our research skills. 

As educators we are constantly called on to help you with questions about your children. We may be asked, Where shall we live? What are the best public schools? What if my child was diagnosed with a learning difference? How do we find a reading tutor? How do we navigate the process of finding a school for our family?

We are often the advice providers, but we believe one of our roles is to equip you with the right tools and questions to think about, to make your own educational plans and decision as well. 

Through our work with families, we find the following topics to be the greatest areas of concern. We’ve highlighted each of them briefly below:

• Academics
• Social emotional growth
• Your Community
• Activities and sports
• Logistics and planning

ACADEMICS: 

Is there a learning difference or area of weakness that needs attention?

Is there a specific problem in the current classroom that should be addressed before the end of the year?

Do you need to proactively think about the summer plan and seek help from the outside?

Is tutoring necessary and how do you find a good tutor?

How would you rate the year for each child? What has been the highlight and the low lights? What changes should be made?

Make a plan for the summer and next year for each child. You can also think about yourself and ways to improve your daily life as well in the year ahead. 

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL GROWTH: 

Mental health is important for all of us. 

How is your child feeling about himself/herself?

Who are their friends and are they interacting appropriately with them?

Do you see changes or patterns in their behavior, eating habits or sleeping patterns?

Does your child care about what they wear or how they feel?

Do they want to stay home or stay in bed or just lounge all the time? 

Are you making time to communicate positively with your child? 

Do you spend quality time with your child?

Are they feeling confident as individuals?

Do you see a change in the way your child was in September and the way your child is now?  

The increase of kids feeling bullied, unworthy or unaccepted by peers has grown with the increased availability of social media. You must be aware of your child’s online presence, what exposure they have to social media and who they are interacting with online. Do your research.

Create your own resource list for emergencies, from specialists to surgeons, for your family and update this yearly. Take the mental health pulse of each member of your family. Being aware can help avoid a mental health or medical crisis. 

YOUR COMMUNITY: 

Your community plays a big role in your family’s mental health. Think about your friends, your child’s friends, your nuclear family, extended family, as well as your school and religious community. How can you utilize these groups for support if you aren’t already?

OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES AND SPORTS:

What is your child interested in? When children are younger, these decisions are yours and you let them try everything from team sports to individual activities like dance, tennis, chess and even legos. But as children grow, we give them more independence and help them RESEARCH what activities they enjoy and want to try. Whether it is giving back to others through church or a synagogue, an internship, a camp experience or tutoring, summer is definitely a special growing period where children can do their own research. It can be an important time where learning and friendships are fostered in a short time. 

One word of caution on this topic: do not over program your child. Downtime is needed for the regeneration of the mind and spirit, and allows room for creativity and developing their own imaginations. 

LOGISTICS AND PLANNING:

Life takes planning today. The spontaneous activity or outing still takes place but it is often fraught with traffic or time allotment which causes frustration. It is already March and it is a good time to look at the summer calendar and start your RESEARCH for activities, doctors appointments, tutoring, school planning, travel or work or even working with an educational consultant!   

Additionally, researching new books, classes, activities and podcasts, all takes time but it is worth it!

We will be taking new clients in April and May for the next school season. We also are available if there is a current problem that needs our guidance. Let us know how we can help you or your friends navigate the school process. Our practice continues to specialize in helping new parents through high school understand the importance of researching the different paths of educating your child and children.

We care about our families and we care about you,

Barbara, Betsy, Fontaine and Margo