| MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Katy C. Merrell, MEd. |
| February 2008 "Gardens of Civilization" |
I had the opportunity recently to attend a
conference where the keynote speaker was Dr. Ned
Hallowell. For those of you not familiar with him he is
a nationally renowned practitioner and author of
several books on Attention Deficit disorder as well
as many other issues that arise in childhood. I
wanted to share with you some of his inspiring and
insightful thoughts. His most recent book is entitled
“Worry”, and focuses on helping parents deal with
what he calls “toxic” levels of worry that kids are all
too often exposed to; from a dangerous world to
the pressure to excel on the athletic field, get the
best grades, etc. etc. He shocked us all by
describing a company in N.Y. City that charges
$1,500 an hour to tutor high school students so they
can get into elite colleges....and there is a waiting list
of parents willing to pay this fee!!! He shared that
more and more children are being treated for what
were once considered adult anxiety disorders and
cautioned that kids who “get into trouble” when they
are older are usually kids who feel “disconnected”.
He spoke of FAMILIES as “GARDENS OF
CIVILIZATION”, and spelled out some thoughtful
advice on how parents can insulate their children
from worry and help them feel safe, grounded, and
confident as they navigate life’s hurdles.
conference where the keynote speaker was Dr. Ned
Hallowell. For those of you not familiar with him he is
a nationally renowned practitioner and author of
several books on Attention Deficit disorder as well
as many other issues that arise in childhood. I
wanted to share with you some of his inspiring and
insightful thoughts. His most recent book is entitled
“Worry”, and focuses on helping parents deal with
what he calls “toxic” levels of worry that kids are all
too often exposed to; from a dangerous world to
the pressure to excel on the athletic field, get the
best grades, etc. etc. He shocked us all by
describing a company in N.Y. City that charges
$1,500 an hour to tutor high school students so they
can get into elite colleges....and there is a waiting list
of parents willing to pay this fee!!! He shared that
more and more children are being treated for what
were once considered adult anxiety disorders and
cautioned that kids who “get into trouble” when they
are older are usually kids who feel “disconnected”.
He spoke of FAMILIES as “GARDENS OF
CIVILIZATION”, and spelled out some thoughtful
advice on how parents can insulate their children
from worry and help them feel safe, grounded, and
confident as they navigate life’s hurdles.
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| “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us” Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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NORFOLK CHILDREN'S SCHOOL, 23 Union St., Norfolk, MA 02056 508-528-1970
Copyright 2008 Norfolk Children's School
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Website Design by Karma Communications
undue pressure or stress to their lives. (Censor T.V. news, violent shows, games, movies, etc.) Some
worry is healthy but too much can be “toxic”; holding children back from taking healthy risks in life.
2. CONNECTEDNESS is a simple but powerful “force field” that keeps anxiety At bay; feeling
you are part of something larger than yourself and not alone is critical! Kids need to feel that no
matter what happens they can find a way to deal with it and have a support system to help them
through (a safety net!)
***Help children connect to...Pets (if possible), to their extended family, to the past through the
history (stories) of their family, to their neighborhood, to nature, to teams or musical groups, etc.
that they become involved in, and to some kind of spiritual connection whatever that might mean for
you and your family.
3. ENJOY YOUR CHILDREN...unconditional love is magical and transformative!
*** Spend time together...eat dinner together, take walks, even argue together(Some conflict is
fine- the absence of any conflict often means no one cares). Family traditions are so important- no
matter how simple!
If kids feel good about themselves and hopeful about life they can be “genuine” and are able to
make “genuine” connections with people.
More wisdom from Dr. Hallowell in March... Respectfully, Katy C. Merrell MEd.
worry is healthy but too much can be “toxic”; holding children back from taking healthy risks in life.
2. CONNECTEDNESS is a simple but powerful “force field” that keeps anxiety At bay; feeling
you are part of something larger than yourself and not alone is critical! Kids need to feel that no
matter what happens they can find a way to deal with it and have a support system to help them
through (a safety net!)
***Help children connect to...Pets (if possible), to their extended family, to the past through the
history (stories) of their family, to their neighborhood, to nature, to teams or musical groups, etc.
that they become involved in, and to some kind of spiritual connection whatever that might mean for
you and your family.
3. ENJOY YOUR CHILDREN...unconditional love is magical and transformative!
*** Spend time together...eat dinner together, take walks, even argue together(Some conflict is
fine- the absence of any conflict often means no one cares). Family traditions are so important- no
matter how simple!
If kids feel good about themselves and hopeful about life they can be “genuine” and are able to
make “genuine” connections with people.
More wisdom from Dr. Hallowell in March... Respectfully, Katy C. Merrell MEd.