Garden City Community Coalition Parent Education Workshop Series - Part IV

The Garden City Community Coalition hosted its final parent education workshop, of a four part series, Oct. 26. The first workshop was held Oct. 5, the second workshop took place Oct. 12 and the third workshop ran Oct. 19. 

Dr. Richard Gallagher of the NYU Child Study Center continued "The Parent Equation For The Elementary School Years," which focuses on principles and practices that create a formula for success: psychologically, behaviorally, educationally and socially.

Gallagher discussed problem-solving skills, raising an assertive child and organizational development.

Problem Solving Skills – According to Gallagher, children who practice problem-solving skills are better adjusted, make better decisions as they get older and tend to steer away from risky teenage behaviors. These children have lower rates of anxiety, depression and aggression.  

Research on problem-solving skills has indicated that there is a logical set of steps to follow for optimum results. The first step is for the child to determine that there is a problem and it's usually the child's feelings that trigger the problem.  The second step is identifying the problem, the third step is to remain calm and the fourth step is to develop alternatives.  

This process can be taught and Gallagher suggested that parents model these skills so children learn to apply them. Most children are not necessarily skilled in these areas.  

"Suppose you encountered a road block while driving," said Gallagher. "You pose the question to your child, we could drive into the police to get to the other side or what else can we do?"

Talking this through and making a decision are critical components to problem-solving. Parents should throw out crazy ideas and allow the child to find a solution.

If your child wants pancakes for breakfast every day, you can run through scenarios of why pancakes are difficult to make during the week and what are some alternatives.

This same mindset can be applied when children are upset. A child may want a pet and you have already decided a pet is not an option for your family. You can, however, brainstorm ideas of how your child can spend some time with animals.  This will change the child's mindset away from being unhappy to exploring alternatives. 

Children can then use these principles to develop strategies to ward off peer pressure.  

Raising Assertive Children – As children move to grades 3-5, the peer group becomes more important. The repercussions of not following the group are troublesome for children during this time. Children who are assertive and can appropriately (not obnoxiously or too passively) stand up to the group will have an easier time dealing with adolescent peer pressure and social situations.  Teaching children to say, "I don't like that" or "don't do that" are valuable skills.

Organizational/Planning Skills – Organizational/planning skills become more important as children move to higher grades. Gallagher shared that children with attention disorders are inclined to be less organized.  

"Lacking these skills can be a detriment to a child's success, especially in the middle and high school years," noted Gallagher. "Parents can't assume these skills will naturally develop."

Parents can help by taking the time to review homework and set aside time to organize paperwork.  

Time Management – "Children seem to think that everything takes five minutes," remarked Gallagher. "Children need to learn the concept of time."

In the early years, parents can assist their children by tracking assignments and helping them plan projects. The planning process should include breaking the project into steps, determining what supplies are needed and how long the project will take. Mini-deadlines can be included. Once the child has a broader picture of what is entailed, they'll have a better understanding of how long something takes.

The Garden City Community Coalition will be hosting their next parent presentation with the Garden City PTA. They have partnered together to bring John Halligan's presentation, Ryan's Story, to Garden City on Nov. 17. This is a personal account and inspiring presentation regarding the topic of cyber-bullying. Middle School students will see this presentation during the day and a parent presentation will be held the same day at 7:30 p.m. in the Garden City High School auditorium.