Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

Stress isn't just for kids any more

SIRI AGRELL

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 8:40 PM EST 19/09/07

As parents become focused on trying to ease their kids' transition back to school, many see their stress levels rise ...Read the full article

This conversation is closed

  1. L M from Canada writes: I find it astounding that people get this stressed about their kids going back to school. Sure, there's school supplies and fall clothing to buy, but that's just a couple of shopping trips. What's the big deal?

    As for teachers who assign homework over the summer, in my opinion they need to give their heads a shake and so do the parents who stress over it. Summer break is a BREAK. Kids and their parents should be the ones to choose what activities and reading they will do, how much and when. Teachers don't need to micromanage us, and we don't have to let them. Everybody needs to lighten up, here.
  2. John L. Murlowe from Colony of Vancouver Island, Canada writes:
    It's amazing how the G M can make a story out of an everyday occurrence.
  3. Gizella Oehm from Toronto, Canada writes: I think deep down inside most kids are glad to get back to school and do something different (and structured). Anyway, what's the big whoop? I don't remember any of this 'stress' either for me or for my parents as a kid. I'd hate to see what would happen to some people (or their children) in the event a real crisis arises.
  4. Kay Ay from Canada writes: My kids would've happily returned to school this week. Maybe even last week.
    As for the clothes, our weather isn't going to become fallish until the end of September so that isn't an issue here.

    Yes we will pick up supplies and I bought them new indoor shoes but other than that we're good.

    Oops, the backpacks will have to be washed. And I have some baking to do. I think we can handle it!
  5. Deborah Rowe from Toronto, Canada writes: Good grief - let's get a grip shall we? At least our kids aren't going back to school in a war zone! Both of my girls are excited to being going to school, and as a mum I'm excited for them. They have the opportunity - so many little girls and boys don't.
    A little perspective from the G&M, please.
  6. Beverley Smith from Calgary, Canada writes: In our home September presented not just psychological and emotional stressors but financial ones. Equipping 4 kids to go back to school with new clothes, plus school supplies, plus pay for school fees, nearly broke us every year and always came right after a period of expense anyway because we had also tried to provide a summer vacation trip of some sort too. In fact the cost of raising kids is a much undernoticed stressor, little acknowledged by governments especially the ones we've had since 1995. When we lost family allowance and child dependent deduction and reduced spousal deduction and don't permit income splitting, and don't give pension benefits for the caregiving years and don't have a birth benefit - parents are penalized for having kids. Stress? Yes.
  7. eva smith from Ottawa, Canada writes: I have a suggestion: don't make a big deal out of it and don't assume that everyone goes into a tizzy preparing kids to go back to school just because newspaper articles and parenting magazines tell you so. It's a ploy to make you think you SHOULD be doing all that prep work, especially shopping for new clothes and school supplies, etc. And are there really teachers who assign homework to be completed during the summer? Get a grip.

Comments are closed

Thanks for your interest in commenting on this article, however we are no longer accepting submissions. If you would like, you may send a letter to the editor.

Report an abusive comment to our editorial staff

close

Alert us about this comment

Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.

Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.

Back to top