| ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
School Counseling Webpage
Parents
The following information, resources and links are meant to help support you in your adventures and challenges as a parent. Raising children is by far one of the most difficult responsibilities especially in the digital age that we live in. The more information that we have about our children's development and the issues that they face in every stage of their growth, the better able we are to help them be successful.
Remember, although there will be many challenges in your parenting journey, it is one of the most rewarding life experiences. You are the most influential person in your child's life. Be a role model, support them and guide them but along the way, be sure to have fun. Make precious memories and cherish your child every step of the way.
If there's anything that I can do to support you in your parenting challenges, remember I'm a phone call, email and school visit away.
Migdalia Rodriguez, School Counselor 266-8554, mrodriguez3@wcpss.net, room 111.
Check out, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-
Hard times are affecting many families. We are blessed to live in a community that recognizes those needs and offer many opportunities for help. The following links are local agencies and resources for Wake County.
Bullying is a major problem in schools across America. It has become a prevalent issue that needs to be addressed by all (parents, schools, health providers, law enforcement, etc).
As parents, we play an essential role in our child's understanding of the issue and how they participate in it. It is important the we help children understand that bullying is wrong, help them come up with ways that they can help others who are being bullied and ensure that they know exactly what to do if they're the target of bullying.
Please be aware that bullying happens everywhere not just in schools. Technology has made it even more prevalent, this form is called cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is very complex and can be very dangerous.
If you have any concerns about bullying please contact us to report it and/or for more information.
Some of the most important skills that we can teach our children are how to identify and manage their emotions, effectively communicate feelings and how to handle stress and anger. Below are some links and helpful information to help you in this area.
However, please be aware that ongoing struggles with emotions can be an indication of something more serious. Especially when children have experienced things that are beyond what they can handle developmentally such as trauma and trajedies. There are many people available to help you and your child if you're experiencing some emotional difficulties that have been going on for too long, particularly anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. If you or your child are struggling with strong emotions that persist for more than 3 months and are impairing your functioning, please seek professional help. I am available and trained to listen, assess and link you to appropriate resources. Please do not hesitate to get help, it will make a world of difference for you, your child and your family. Some talking points about feelings/emotions are:
We all have feelings and they're a natural part of life. Some feelings are pleasant like happy, excited, & joyful. Some feelings are not so pleasant like sad, scared & anger. Of all our feelings, anger is the one that most of us struggle with. We usually don't want to feel anger since we don't now how to handle it. Angry feelings aren't bad and they're not something to fear and avoid. In fact, when we learn to manage our anger in positive ways and channel that energy towards something good, we may find that anger can help us be productive and passionate about the things that matter to us.
When you deal with anger in effective ways like journaling, communicating with others, exercising, or reading to mention a few, then you benefit in other ways like learning, keeping healthy, enjoying your friendships and sometimes even getting motivated to change the world. Many people who have written books, created art, volunteer for special causes, go into helping fields like counseling, law & justice have done so because of their personal struggles and experiences with anger.
The key to managing anger is learning all you can about it and finding ways to get it under control. If you don't learn to express your anger in a peaceful way and control your behaviors when you're angry then it can lead to you becoming destructive and hurtful towards yourself and others.
Did you know that anger is a secondary feeling? That means that usually in a situation where you felt angry there was usually another feeling that you felt first. It's just that we don't know how to identify or express those underlying feelings and they tend to make us feel powerless and vulnerable. So, we hide them or mask them with anger instead because it's easier for us to feel anger. For example, if you're being teased by someone, the primary feeling or first thing you feel is usually embarrassed, hurt or humiliated. However, anger seems to be what you express and most often in aggressive and violent ways.
There are experiences and events that can trigger anger. Your anger triggers are different than other peoples because your values, beliefs and attitude about things are different. How anger affects your body, your anger signs, can also be different but may include your face getting red & tense, blood rushing to different parts of your body, blood pressure increasing, eyes tearing, heart pumping fast, sweating, breathing fast, mouth or jaw tightening, fist clenching, stomach aches or headaches. If you learn what your anger triggers and signs are then you will be on your way to diffusing your anger because part of managing anger is learning when it's best for us to remove ourselves from a situation and/or get help.
Here are some steps to controlling your anger:
- Learn to identify and accept your anger and underlying feelings.
- Stop, count to 10 (or however long it may take you to calm down) and breathe deeply.
- Think peaceful & positive thoughts.
- Think of the consequences of losing control.
- Do something constructive with your anger: journal, draw, take a walk, listen to music, take a nap, etc.
- If you can't get yourself calm, get help from a friend or trusted adult.
The most important role models for children when it comes to health are parents. Keeping your family healthy requires healthy habits, proper nutrition, physical activity, awareness and wellness checks. There are many factors that can impact our families' health these days like environmental hazards, overwhelming schedules, genetics, access to services, drugs, alcohol, etc. I'm sure the list can go on and on. However, our health should be a priority and we need to figure out how to make it so.
One lesson that I've learned in my parenting is that health should be a family affair and not something that individuals in families necessarily have to do in isolation. You would be amazed how motivated and excited kids get about exercise and proper nutrition when everyone in the family is doing it together. Also, a great way to help children understand the impact of diseases, drugs and alcohol is to be direct and honest with them about it in addition to being a positive role model.
My hope is that the links below will provide you with plenty of ideas, resources and information to make health a priority for your family.
You are one of the most influential persons in your child's life when it comes to their academic achievement. Research continues to show that parents play an essential role in their children's academic performance. A strong partnership and involvement with our school will ensure that your child experiences school success.
There are many ways for you to be involved in our school. You can volunteer, attend teacher/parent conferences, open house and other school wide events. You can join the school's PTA and share your skills and talents in different ways from being a classroom parent or lunch mentor, to helping with clerical duties, to planning & organizing events, to leading an aspect of an event such as the school store or a vending table at one of our events. We understand that many of you work during the day so there are other ways that you can help even from home like making calls or creating flyers. The possibilities are endless and our PTA and staff welcome you.
Another very important aspect of school success is helping our children to understand the importance of responsibility, dependability, punctuality, integrity and effort and how these traits will lead to success in school as well as in their future. Please make sure that your child is in school regularly and ready for learning. Instill in them the value of good character and making positive choices; it will help them to do well at school and to deal with life challenges in effective ways. As parents, we are the mentors and role models who will make the biggest impact.
Let's work together to develop in our children a love for learning!
| WCPSS Student Support Services Guide |
| Literacy Council of Wake County |
| Boys & Girls Club |
| Communities In School |
| Salvation Army After School Programs |
| The Burke Learning Center |
| Educational Enrichment |
It is never too early to start planning and getting your child ready for their future. It is important for students to learn all that they can about the world of opportunities and options they will have. At the elementary age, kids can start to explore different careers and learn more about their personal interest.
Parents are strongly encouraged to start planning financially very early especially when you consider the cost of higher education. Post secondary education is expensive and will continue to rise. It is important that you start saving for your child's education early so that when the time comes you're ahead of the game.
My hope is that the following links can help you on your journey to college planning for your child. The kids' webpage also has a lot of links to resources and games that are meant to help them learn more about specific careers. Have fun!
To send a meeting request, guidance lending library request, or for questions, comments and concerns, please email:
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