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Health & Fitness

Got A Stressed Kid? Tutoring Can Help.

The last five to ten years has seen an explosion in the number of private tutoring services from which parents and students may choose.  From time to time, we like to remind people that tutors come in many different “flavors” and that a student having a tutor can mean more than him or her having someone that can answer a question about math, or help with a writing assignment.

At QWERTY, our core service tutors often assist with matters that go well beyond simple traditional subject tutoring.  Below are a few examples of what we mean and some of the benefits of working with certain kinds of tutors:

  • Parents use tutors as part of the family system - rather than just helping get the work done, we become a means for parents to let go of some of their concerns about the academic scene so they can focus on other management issues or supporting other affinities and interests.
  • We can be direct time managers and directors of organization or we can become an outlet for kids where they can vent their frustrations about the demands on them, allowing them to better manage work on their own when they are not in our offices.
  • Kids benefit from some adult time that is devoid of the potential for causing pressure.
  • No one excels at everything and kids need to be reminded of that by trusted yet objective adults.  Sometimes a parent is too close to a child for this: the child knows to expect cheerleading messages like, "You did your best" and don't always find this sufficient consolation when something doesn't go well.
  • We help kids rehearse the language and develop the practice of accurately articulating their strengths and weaknesses, whether it is academic or something else.
  • Control is a major theme/concern for children, especially adolescents.  Overprogramming takes away their control and becomes a source of resentment and reaction.  A tutor can help give children an active voice in some of this programming and give them some real and practical controls in their lives, helping them to develop an important skill in real-world decision making.
  • Few Peninsula parents can honestly or accurately say that their child has no pressure.  Let’s be clear by what we mean here: Living here is very different from most places. A very high percentage of those parents that live here are highly successful people who by their own example set a high standard.
  • Individuals that are masters of every domain populate the Peninsula.  People have extraordinary homes, raise fabulous gardens, throw perfect parties, are world-class athletes, are beautiful and fashionable, are extremely articulate, etc. etc. etc.  We easily forget that few people have or are all of these, and if they do, odds are they are not doing it alone.  This is a highly geographically specific phenomenon.

The world in which Peninsula students grow up is a highly challenging one.  Selecting a particular type of tutor or education professional to become a part of a child’s education life can be beneficial in ways that extend beyond the student meeting regularly with a provider that knows and can teach this or that subject matter.  With some professionals, the benefits can extend into the domains of stress management and self-advocacy.  We think that bears consideration.  What do you think?

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