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Back to School Q&A WITH DR. VANESSA LAPOINTE Mediaplanet sat down with Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, who draws on two decades of psychology practice and global parenting programs to guide families through back-to-school transitions. What are the most common sources of stress for children as they return to school, and how can parents recognize signs of stress in their children? The most significant source of stress for children will always be the long stretches of absence from their attachment figures — their parents. In these long stretches of separation, the child is required to follow the rules, perform up to standards, manage social interactions, and meet a host of other demands, all while being apart from the people who would typically regulate their nervous system in the midst of these challenges. Stress in children typically shows up in their behaviour and in their bodies. You might notice challenges with falling asleep or waking up. You might see that the child is more reactive and more prone to meltdowns in the morning and after school. You might also observe an uptick in difficult sibling dynamics. Sometimes symptoms of anxiety can also appear, including difficulties being left alone and excessive worries about different things in life. You may also see nightmares or night terrors starting to present. It’s important to watch for changes in bodily functions, including the type and amount of food they’re eating, as well as any changes to bathroom routines (for example, withholding bowels or urinary overflow).
How can parents create a supportive home environment that fosters both emotional and academic growth? The key to creating a supportive home environment that fosters both emotional and academic growth includes an ideal balance of firmness and kindness in how you structure a child’s day, and in how you establish and maintain boundaries, rules, norms, and expectations. The containment created by routines and boundaries is very important to a child’s emotional safekeeping during this extraordinary period in their development. Only when a child is emotionally at rest are they neurologically and otherwise available to the demands of academic growth. The challenge for parents is to avoid rigidity around these things and instead maintain general coherence so that the child understands how it all works, while also allowing kind-hearted grey zones when routines, boundaries, expectations, and rules need to shift in order to be more responsive to the child’s emotional and/or physical needs. For example, you may need to shift bedtime 15 minutes later if your child just needs a little extra tender loving care before drifting off into dreamland. Or your child may need to arrive at school a bit later because they were unsettled and required some additional co-regulatory time with their parent before taking on the demands of the day.
Is there anything else you think is important for parents to keep in mind to best support a successful start to the new school year for their families? The biggest thing Only when a child is parents can focus emotionally at rest are on is ensuring they truly available to that their chilthe demands dren’s hearts are of academic settled at school growth. and at home so the child is free to grow and develop. Ensuring that your child always feels safe in the connection they have with you is paramount. I often ask parents: how can you be with your child even when you cannot physically be with them? How can you send yourself to school with your child, even though you won’t actually be there? You might consider special notes in their lunch bag, a little token filled with “magical” mom or dad kisses that will never run out, something your child can store in their bag and hold if they need a little extra love, or front-loading your child with something to look forward to after school. The key is to always help your child feel the connection so they’re Read the full Q&A shored up to be resilient and emerwith Dr. Lapointe at healthinsight.ca. gent while off at school.
This Common Eye Condition Could Affect Your Child's Ability to Learn With a rise in nearsightedness in children, make a yearly comprehensive eye exam part of your child’s back to school routine. Anne Papmehl
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s kids head back to school, vision can play a key role in how they learn and participate in class. A common condition on the rise is myopia, or nearsightedness. It can be hard to notice at first because children with myopia often read up close without any trouble. Left unchecked, it can quietly affect their ability to read the board, follow lessons, and keep up with classmates. That’s why regular eye exams are so important, they help catch potential problems early before they start impacting learning and development.
not receiving annual eye exams as recommended. This is especially concerning as myopia continues to rise among children and has the potential to become the most common cause of irreversible visual impairment and vision loss worldwide.
receive a comprehensive eye exam every year until they turn 19. Yet, according to a recent Specsavers Canada survey conducted by Angus Reid, 45% of Canadian children in this age group are
Why a visit to Specsavers made all the difference
It wasn’t until we visited our local Specsavers to When was your get him a pair of glasses that child’s last eye we learned about myopia exam? management. They’ve guided The Canadian us through every stage and Association of their support has made Optometry reca real difference in om me nd s t h a t managing Otis’ school-aged children vision.
Spot vision issues early with regular eye exams “Myopia is a progressive condition and so a simple step you can take to stay ahead of your child’s eye health is booking that annual eye exam,” says Naomi Barber, Clinical Services Director at Specsavers. “If myopia is discovered the good news is there are proven ways to help slow its progression. Children can receive ongoing care from an optometrist and may be offered management options. These options are simple and effective, things like glasses and contact lenses specific for their needs, and are shown to be effective in protecting their vision and long-term eye health.”
For Debbie Virdi of Vancouver, BC, discovering Specsavers has been a gamechanger for her eight-year-old son, Otis. “When he was first diag-
Curious about myopia and how to protect your child’s vision? Visit specsavers.ca/myopia to learn more and to book an eye exam.
nosed with myopia his vision began to worsen steadily, I had no idea that corrective vision aids beyond glasses were an option,” says Virdi. “It wasn’t until we visited our local Specsavers to get him a pair of glasses that we learned about myopia management. They’ve guided us through every stage and their support has made a real difference in managing Otis’ vision,” she says. With his vision no longer a struggle, Otis enjoys an active life, while his mother has peace of mind knowing the progression of her son’s myopia has slowed down. “One thing I’ve learned from this experience is how important it is to have your child’s eyes checked early and regularly,” she says. Sp ec saver s locat ion s of fer comprehensive eye exa ms by independent optometrists, including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a 3D advanced eye health scan that examines the back of the eye. The scan can help your optometrist better assess the health of your child’s eyes and detect other causes that may be contributing to visual impairment.
This article was sponsored by Specsavers.
Publisher: Mubarak Mohamed Business Development Manager: Meredith Burt Content & Client Success Manager: Nicole Kansakar Country Managers: Samantha Taylor, Nina Theodorlis Creative Director: Kylie Armishaw Digital Media Manager: Karm Rathod All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve the Toronto Star or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.