student well-being - On Balance Parenting

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student well-being

A collection of 11 posts

Boredom is Essential

Boredom is Essential

This opinion piece, A Packed Schedule Doesn’t Really ‘Enrich’ Your Child, by Dr. Shalini Shankar, professor of anthropology and Asian American studies at Northwestern University makes many excellent observations, including that “there are good reasons to give children time to be bored.” Ms. Shankar invites parents to pause “before

Our Kids Were Not Alright before the Pandemic. Renewal & Renovation.

Our Kids Were Not Alright before the Pandemic. Renewal & Renovation.

A Call for Renewal & Renovation I was honored to deliver an invitational mini keynote at the 2021 Illinois PTA Convention and Leadership Conference (virtual) on April 24, 2021, A Call for Renewal & Renovation. I reflect on the state of our youth and education system, inner and outer values

...a listening heart perceives meaning

...a listening heart perceives meaning

data-animation-override> “Eyes see only light, ears hear only sound, but a listening heart perceives meaning. ~Brother David Steindl-Rast” Positive Perspectives Podcast [April 17, 2020] I was thrilled to help kick off the Positive Perspectives Series along with Dr. Aaron Weiner, Director of Addiction at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, sharing

Colleges, Choices and Character

Colleges, Choices and Character

It’s that time of year. College applications and essays are being written and submitted. Students and parents are inundated with an overwhelming number of e-mails and informational brochures from colleges and universities. E-mails with catchy subject lines and four-color glossy brochures in inboxes and mailboxes. Information overload! University selection

The Opposite of Love is Control - My Podcast Interview

Positive Alternatives Podcast (November 1, 2019) Our interview with Dagmar Kauffman – Founder of On Balance Parenting, Collaborator, Peaceful Warrior, and Educator of Educators. We discuss how young people are losing out on the opportunity to grow and learn from their mistakes when parents step in and fix what may not

Reclaiming Naperville Students' Humanity

Another school year is settling into a rhythm. Nearby, the middle school band has taken up practice, and depending on the direction of the wind, music drifts across the field to my study. Friday night lights at the high school down the street flood across the field to our house.

The Vital Role of Social Connection in our Lives

The Vital Role of Social Connection in our Lives

Work and the Loneliness Epidemic The above article, written by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in the Harvard Business Review, focuses on loneliness, the lack of social connection, as a “growing health epidemic.” Dr. Murthy reports that over 40 percent of Americans report feeling lonely, with research indicating

Lack of Sleep = Increase of Sadness, Hopelessness

Lack of Sleep = Increase of Sadness, Hopelessness

“Make sure your kids eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep. “This recipe seems like a no-brainer, but most teenagers are not taking care of themselves in these simple ways. Damour calls sleep the “silver bullet.” Adolescents are supposed to get nine hours of sleep a night. “Any amount under

The Effects of Chronic Stress on the Brain

The Effects of Chronic Stress on the Brain

(This post was originally published on LinkedIN on February 15,2018.) “What happens when the brain is stressed — not for a few seconds, but year after year? Stress hormones end up swamping our bodies for days, weeks, months. Research shows that cortisol, specifically, chews up the brain if it loiters

Naperville 'State of the Kids' Town Hall: Examine Our Environment, Achievement Culture

(This post was originally published on LinkedIN on July 12, 2017.) Naperville City Councilwoman Rebecca Boyd-Obarski’s call for a town-hall meeting to assess the “State of Kids” in our community is a timely one. Alongside a review of student alcohol and drug use data, we need to take a

Survey: 70% of Naperville Students are Stressed, 50% don't talk about it

The Chicago Tribune/Naperville Sun reports: Naperville Student Survey: 70% of Teens are stressed, 50% don’t talk about it. “Seven of 10 seventh-graders and nearly eight in 10 high school sophomores say they experience moderate or high levels of daily stress. About half of both groups say the stress