Hello, everyone! I’m Tiffany, Dr. Becky’s new assistant. I’m really excited to be working with Becky and looking forward to meeting new people. Once you enter the office, my smiling face will usually be the first you’ll see. Let’s get acquainted! I’ll take a moment to introduce myself. I have a lengthy history as an English teacher. After nearly 15 years in the classroom I decided it was time for me to jump off of a cozy, predictable ship and swim off to find adventure elsewhere. I pursued my first love, writing. Thanks to wonderful connections I’d made while teaching, I found work as a freelance writer and editor for a number of blogs and news sites. I never lost my fervor for education, though – the summer days ahead of me will be peppered with tutoring sessions and meeting with students who need an extra boost while school’s out.

While planning my schedule for the months ahead, I had to keep in mind not to overload myself. It looks cool to be the one who can step up to the challenge and try to reach out to every person, but it’s simply not something you can do without giving up too much of yourself. As parents and educators, we tend to make an art form out of giving a part of ourselves up for the sake of helping another person advance. It’s pretty common during these summer months to hear and share worries with friends and family about what the kids will be doing this summer to keep busy (or to keep out of the way). We stress, we whine, and we sometimes forget to take care of our own needs while trying to control what goes on the all-important calendar during June, July, and August.

Here’s one way to keep from pulling your hair out – set a goal and let your child brainstorm activities that will help reach it. It’s one thing to have a summer project such as painting a bedroom, but how much of the thinking is being done by you? If you’re micromanaging all the details so that nobody else has a say in what goes on, don’t be surprised when you’re frustrated and everyone involved is bored with your plans. Kids are funny people like that – they’re still learning how to speak out about their opinions (however silly they can get), but their words still need to carry some weight. You might find yourself surprised at how much they know. You’ll be relieved, too, especially when everyone’s busy working on the activities they’ve planned out and you have time to sit and reflect on how awesome you are at communicating!

ENJOY the months ahead and share your thoughts on what you can do to lessen the stress that often comes with summer vacation!