Nancy Stoops M.A., M.F.T Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

By Nancy Stoops, M.A., M.F.T.

School starts very soon and you need to help your children prepare.  This is a good time to start having them go to bed a little earlier and to help them get organized.  Make sure to buy them a good notebook with subject dividers and folders in those subject dividers to organize their work.

Take some time to talk with your child about what worked in the last school year for them, and what they can improve upon this year.  Help them set some goals for this year to make them be better students.

Every year, many parents bring their children to me to help them be better in school.  I teach them time management skills and we work on not procrastinating.  You can help your child with this as well.  You can set up a reward system when you see them making positive changes.

Time management and organizational skills are essential in helping your child succeed in school, and in life in general.  Also, if your child is starting at a new school, take them to the campus beforehand to help them feel more comfortable.

Getting your child to eat a good breakfast and a healthy at lunch is crucial for getting them through the day with the necessary energy to do what they need to do successfully.  Besides enough sleep and good nutrition, I feel a multivitamin is very important as well.

Many of these ideas are taught at my Monday evening free counseling groups.  We meet at the Walnut Teen Center every Monday from 6 to 8 p.m.  No invitation is needed and everybody is welcome to attend. The address is 21003 La Puente Road in Walnut.  Feel free to contact me at (909) 229-0727 if you have any questions. Midnight the therapy dog is also there to help!

This article was written by Nancy Stoops M.A., M.F.T.  Nancy is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.  She has a private practice in Diamond Bar and is currently accepting new clients; she is also a motivational speaker who can inspire your employees or group members.  Nancy runs free family support groups, including a group on loss for seniors, and groups on how to manage anger. For more information about any of these services feel free to contact her at (909) 229-0727, or via email at nancyjstoops@verizon.net.  Nancy’s books, “Midnight the Therapy Dog,” and “Live, Heal and Grow,” are available at Amazon.com.