Our Elementary, Middle, and High School Counselors led a hands-on parent session to provide high-impact tools for nurturing social-emotional growth. Parents learned how to navigate the complex challenges of nurturing independence, using technology wisely, and maintaining transparent communication around these issues.
Fostering Agency with Expert Guidance
Together, we explored how to cultivate opportunities for independence in socializing while establishing clear, respectful boundaries that evolve with each child''s developmental stages. Throughout the session, counselors shared strategies for building confidence and assertiveness, as well as proactively addressing challenges such as social anxiety. The goal was to build confidence in parenting decisions and communications and grow as a team with our educators in this support.
Navigating the Digital World: The Role of Devices
Our specialists offered expert guidance on the role of devices in social interactions. They presented clear, age-appropriate guidelines to help parents strategically manage screen time and ensure online safety. Our counselors emphasized the importance of encouraging synchronous (in-person) communication for robust social development and setting boundaries to prioritize essential screen-free play.
The Power of Intentional Communication
We provided practical communication tools and strategies to strengthen connections across the core channels: peer-to-peer, child-to-parent, and parent-to-parent. Parents gained ''Go To'' phrase examples and tips for sensitive conversations, learning how to foster mutual respect, negotiate boundaries, and align family expectations, considering each family’s personal belief and value system.
Our counselors demonstrated techniques for moving from directing to coaching. This shift involves encouraging intentional time use, discussing the long-term consequences of online behavior, and addressing peer influence by focusing on the student''s personal judgment and decision-making. An illustrative coaching example shared for middle adolescence was: "You’re using your phone a lot lately. How does that make you feel? Do you think it’s helping or hurting your focus?"
This dedicated workshop equipped parents with targeted, practical tools to navigate real-life scenarios at every stage of development. We extend our sincere gratitude to the parents who attended and our counselors who hosted this session. We appreciate our shared commitment to elevating the social and emotional well-being of our students.