Remember when you were a child and the forecast called for snow? That feeling of awesome anticipation, of excited uncertainty, about what the next day would bring? 

In those days, a change from routine was welcomed with open arms and big cheers. Today, a similar anticipation and uncertainty keeps us parents up as night for completely different reasons. 

The threat (or reality) of school closures stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic has hung over the 2020-2021 school year since it started -- and right now, as we enter the holiday season, many schools and colleges across the country are closing their doors once again and transitioning into virtual learning. 

If your child suffered from school anxiety prior to the pandemic shutdown, chances are high that this extended school break exacerbated the issue. Yet even if your child never experienced school avoidance before, the uncertainty of the past few months and the dire news cycle to which they’ve been exposed may have created new anxious feelings. 

While school anxiety and avoidance are very common, especially in children with complex challenges and learning differences, it can be both frustrating and emotional to help a child overcome these fears. 

Learn about school avoidance, the physical manifestations and ways parents can help their child to enjoy attending school in this installment of the Shine On podcast.

“Have you finished your homework?” 

As any parent of a teenager knows, there is no question in the parenting repertoire that can elicit such extreme responses as this one. From an elated “Yes!” to an angry “Ugh, I will!” to ... total silence … homework can be a polarizing topic in any household. However, homework is a routine and necessary part of every student’s education.