In the interview, Ernie Anastos and Midge Leavey discuss anxiety relief strategies for children related to homework and school. Midge, an author and educator, suggests that parents should not be doing their child’s homework for them. She believes that children need to learn on their own and that doing homework for them is a bad idea. Furthermore, teachers can easily tell if parents have completed the work on their child’s behalf, which undermines the child’s education.
While some parents worry that their child will fail if they don’t help with homework, Midge suggests that extra help is available for those who need it. Additionally, parents can make homework fun by finding ways to incorporate it into family time. For example, Midge used to make bingo boards with sight words, and families could play together while their child learns at the same time.
Midge emphasizes the importance of addressing emotional needs in young children to help them succeed in school. She wrote a book called “The Missing Mommy Cure,” which is aimed at pre-K to first-grade children. The book helps children feel comfortable and happy about going to school, which in turn helps them focus during the day and get their work done.
Finally, Midge shares her opinion that children today are better prepared than she was in her own education. However, she believes that children need to be seen as whole people, not just academic students. Children need to have activities that involve physical and emotional engagement, as well as academics, to become well-rounded individuals.