This is a relatively simple gig, and yet, it can go so very, very wrong. I have often come home from work to find his bag still packed on the couch or his things scattered in a few locations. Don't get me wrong - he does this right on most days, but it is those days that materials are scattered that I have found I need to pay more attention to him.
I've talked before about how I use traffic to unwind from work. That commute home with a podcast that makes me laugh or think is what I need to transition from "work Lauren" to "home Lauren." That transition time helps me refocus my energy.
But my son doesn't have that. He gets off the bus and is expected to come home, unpack his bag and start his homework. If he has had a rough day, he usually doesn't get asked about it until the dinner table.
There's this great article about children and daycare, and how children might be feeling stress at going to school everyday, but they don't have a way to verbally express it. This is why most parents with children in school before the age of kindergarten will have at least one story of their child getting bitten, hit or hurt in some way. All those feelings come out in the form of teeth and kicks.
My son is obviously older and he has the ability to say what he is feeling, but there are days when he still gets overwhelmed and the words escape him. Those are the days where his backpack is as scattered as his thoughts and feelings. And those are the days when I need to pay him some extra attention to help him find the words.
What signs of stress does your child show you? Tell me in the comments.
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