Blog Archives

SUMMER IS HERE!

5/26/2015

Summer is just around the corner!

The 115 FUN THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER is always one of my favorite lists. There is something for everyone.

If you are unsure of what your travel plans may be this summer, maybe the 40 Places To See With Your Kids Before They Are All Grown Up will give you some ideas.

Giving our kids quality time with us (parents) and our families is one of the most effective protective factors we can offer.

I hope that everyone enjoys their summer and we will be back in August.

If you have any blog suggestions, please don’t hesitate to email me – kbyrant@eanesisd.net

-Katie Bryant

Final Exams - It Doesn't Have To Be A Scary Time!

5/21/2015

Hopefully everyone survived STAAR and AP Exams! Now we are in the last push and it's time for finals. We just wanted to arm parents with information on their children potentially seeking out "study drugs" and ask that you refresh yourself with this previous blog post "The 411 about Study Drugs".

We also found an interesting read about study drugs from the perspective of a college student. With so many of our students getting ready to graduate and face the same circumstances it feels ever important to prepare our kids with the tools they need to feel competent studying successfully on their own and not turning to the allure of "study drugs".

Check out: Using Study Drugs To Get Better Grades: Why You Should Think Twice!

And because a desire to perform well, stress, and lack of sleep go hand in hand check out the below two reads to learn more about the importance of sleep and how sleep deprivation can severely hinder ones' ability to perform - the opposite effect of what students want during finals time!

Skimping On Sleep Can Stress Body and Brain
Short On Sleep? You Could Be A Disaster Waiting To Happen!

-Kristi Waidhofer

Prom Time!

5/11/2015

Below is a post by Barb Steinberg who works with exclusively with girls. Her tips can be applied to our boys/sons as well!

It's time for prom and graduation/end of school parties, and that means that your daughter may get in a situation where she is around alcohol.

Although 10% of parents believe their teens drank alcohol in the past year, the truth is that 28% of 8th graders and 68% of high school seniors drink. What's a parent to do? SAMSA recommends to "Talk. They Hear You.", with the following goals in mind:

Voice your Values. Over 80% of kids 10-18 say parents have the biggest impact on their decision on whether to drink, so decide upon your family values and communicate your expectations to her.
Show you care. Keep calm and neutral while stressing the short-term consequences on your child's growing brain, social standing and academic performance.
Show you are informed. Teach her about alcohol and how it effects her growing body. Read below for some good info to share with her.
Help her resist peer pressure. Agree on a word or phrase she can use to have you pick her up, no questions asked. Come up with 5 excuses she can use to refuse a drink.

Three Things We Tell Our Teen Life Coaching Clients About Alcohol:

Alcohol affects you, even if you don't feel it. How fast alcohol affects you is influenced by many things, including your weight, how much you've eaten, how fast you drink and even changes in your hormones that happen during the month. Even if you aren't slurring your words or stumbling, alcohol is causing changes in how you act and react.
The only thing that will sober you up is time. Coffee, cold showers, exercise or other "cures" will not speed up how fast your body gets rid of the alcohol. Know this when your friends want to do shots or play drinking games. It's takes one hour for a 100 lb. girl to metabolize 1 oz. of alcohol.
Have a plan. Remember that some of your friends may want to say no, too - support them. Ideas: Offer to be the designated driver. Carry the same drink around all night; pouring some down the bathroom sink. Have Uber or your parents ready to call for a ride.

Barb Steinberg, LMSW and Teen Life Coach

-Katie Bryant

What Parents Should Know About Stress in High School

5/5/2015

With STAAR testing this week and AP exams for two weeks, this article couldn't have come at a better time!

It’s no secret that today’s teenagers are under way more stress in high school than in generation’s past. More APs, great grades, terrific scores, more extracurriculars is the drum beat of high school these days. But how does all this stress make teenagers feel?

This article has 10 great tips on how to help your teen when they are feeling stressed.
I think most of them could also work for myself!

-Katie Bryant

Youth Suicide Prevention Toolkit

5/4/2015

This past week the WHS Suicide Prevention Club handed out wristbands to our students. They also had cards where students could write down three names of people who are important in their lives.

Our SSHAC President recently shared the Youth Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Parents. This is such an important topic that ALL parents should be well informed on.
Please reach out to us if you are ever concerned about your child. They spend a lot time at school and we want to make sure they are safe!

We encourage everyone to print this card and carry it with them at all times.
We would also urge you to pull out your cell phone right now and save
1-800-273-TALK (8255). Save a Number, Save a Life!

Local Resources -
Austin Travis County Integral Care - Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) -
512-472-HELP (4357)
911
Any Emergency Department

-Katie Bryant

The contents of the Healthy Chaps site, including text, graphics, images, and other material are for informational purposes only. Nothing contained in this site is or should be considered or used as a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Never disregard medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider or delay seeking it because of something you have read on the Internet, including on the Healthy Chaps site. We urge you to seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.
In case of emergency, please call your doctor or 911 immediately.

SUMMER IS HERE!

Final Exams - It Doesn't Have To Be A Scary Time!

Prom Time!

What Parents Should Know About Stress in High School

Youth Suicide Prevention Toolkit

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