Listen to the voices of our students through the "I Wish" Project.

During the Fall of 2021, Mercer Island elementary, middle and high school students were invited to share thoughts and feelings they wish their parents, teachers, and peers knew.  

• How to support young people as they make and keep friendships - Cultures of Dignity (video)
  
  

• Help kids make friends: 12 evidence-based tips - Parenting Science (blog post)
  
  

• The Importance of Teen Friendships - Newport Academy (blog post)
  
  

• How to help your teen when they're feeling lonely and isolated - ReachOut Parents (blog post)

• How to be Supportive:  The Power of Presence – Character Lab (blog post)
  
  
  
• Empathy vs. Sympathy – Brene Brown (video) 
  
  
  
• Five Love Languages for Teenagers - Dr Maggie Wray/Creating Positive Futures (video)
  
  
  
• Making Mistakes - Zen Parenting (blog post)
  

   

Next week's topic:  Social Connection

• It's Not Your Fault. Okay, It Kinda Is.  How to Re-pattern a Family Dynamic to Reduce Kids' Anxiety - Julie Lythcott Haims (blog post)
  
  
• We Know Our Teens Are Suffering But Do We Know How We Can Help? - Cultures of Dignity (blog post)
  
  
• My Great Expectations - Cultures of Dignity (blog post)
  
  
• Trying to be "Perfect" is Killing Our Teens and We're to Blame - Grown & Flown (article)

   

   

  A Conversation Starter:  What should we focus on?
  
  Better than high expectations, let’s focus on reasonable expectations where we teach our children to pursue their purpose, create meaningful social connection with others, and strive to achieve without that achievement being tied to their sense of self worth. So we would like to leave you with these questions for self-reflection:
   

  • How do you define high expectations?
    
    

  • Do they allow the people you apply these expectations to learn, grow, and make mistakes?
    
    

  • Do your high expectations include the possibility of “letting something go?”–even when it’s a commitment?
    
    

  • Do the young people in your life know your answers to these questions?

   

  Source: My Great Expectations - Cultures of Dignity

Next week's topic:  Connect and Support

• Guided Mastery – Character Lab (blog post)
  
  

• Step Back:  Let Kids Do It Themselves – Character Lab (blog post)
  
  

• The Romeo and Juliet Effect – Character Lab (blog post)
  
  

• How to Raise Kids that are Prepared for the Future – Prepared Parents (podcast) 
  
  

• The Self-Driven Child – William Stixrud and Ned Johnson (book)
  
  

• How to Raise an Adult – Julie Lythcott-Haimes (book)

   

Next week's topic:  Mental Well-Being

• Students in high-achieving schools are now named an “at-risk” group -  - Washington Post (article)

• The Pressure on Teens to Achieve is Real, Here's How Parents Can Help - Grown and Flown (article)

Next week's topic:  Independence

• How to get your child to talk to you and communicate when it really matters. - (video)
  
  

•  How to communicate with your tween or teen (and why that's so hard) - (blog post)
  
  

• How do I get my kid to open up? - Lisa Damour (podcast)
  
  

• What Do You Say?: How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home - William Stixrud and Ned Johnson (video)
  
  

• Important Talks with Teens - (article)
  
  
• Fourteen Conversations Before Fourteen - Michelle Icard (book)
  
  

Next week's topic:  Academic Pressure

• Playtime, Downtime and Family Time: PDF for Teens - Common-Sense strategies for promoting teen health and wellbeing. - Challenge Success (handout)

• Tips for Raising Well-Balanced Kids
  
  

• The Importance of LIfe Balance for Kids

Next week's topic:  Communication