THE ROAD MAP

In this newsletter, you’ll find:

🚦 First stop (Overestimating kids’ love for school)

🛤️ Site-seeing at mylemarks.com (FREE: Self-Love Bingo )

📣 A word from Dirtea

📡 On the Radar (Kids make the rules, “struggling with”, and more)

📅 Mark your calendars (Important dates to know)

🤗 Sharing is Caring (spread the mylemarker love and earn)

Let’s go!

FIRST STOP

💔 Parents Overestimate Kids' Love for School, Study Shows

A new study from the Brookings Institution reveals a significant gap between parents’ perceptions of their children’s school experiences and what students actually report. While most parents believe their kids enjoy school, feel engaged, and learn a lot, students’ self-reports paint a less enthusiastic picture. For example, 71% of parents believe their children love school, but only 41% of students agree. Similarly, 78% of parents think their kids learn a lot in school, while just 60% of students feel the same.

These findings highlight a broader issue of communication between schools and families. Parents often rely on report cards to gauge academic progress, but these documents may not fully capture a student’s learning experience. Classroom grades can be influenced by factors like attendance, punctuality, and participation, which can obscure underlying disengagement or learning struggles. As a result, parents may miss early signs of challenges their children face in school. Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Brookings Center for Universal Education, argues that addressing student engagement should be a top priority for schools. She notes that disengagement underpins several systemic issues, including chronic absenteeism, lower achievement, and school dropout rates.

To bridge this gap, schools should proactively gather and share student engagement data, using surveys or focus groups to assess students' feelings about their learning, peers, and teachers. Sharing this information with parents could foster meaningful conversations and empower families to intervene early if disengagement arises.

SITE-SEEING at mylemarks.com

Freebie: Self-Love Bingo

The Self-Love Bingo worksheet is designed to help children build self-awareness and practice self-compassion. This activity encourages kids to explore simple self-love practices such as “taking a break when stressed” and “making a healthy snack”. It also includes blank spaces where they can write in their own.

A bonus page of “candy hearts” offers a hands-on element where kids can cut out and paste encouraging messages onto their bingo board as they complete each square. This worksheet can be used for individual therapy sessions, small groups, or as a take-home activity to reinforce healthy self-esteem and self-care habits—just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Additional Related Resources

Find resources related to Self-Love Bingo and Valentine’s Day.

A Word from DIRTEA

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ON THE RADAR

💡 Investing in Adolescent Mental Health Yields Long-Term Benefits

Investing in adolescent mental health care has profound economic and social benefits, according to a study in PLOS Medicine. Addressing mental distress in teens improves workforce participation, income, and health outcomes while reducing reliance on government programs. Policies expanding mental health access could save $52 billion in federal spending over a decade by enhancing productivity. Adolescents with untreated mental distress faced reduced wages, fewer assets, and poorer health as adults. The study highlights mental health care as a cost-effective investment that benefits individuals and society, calling for broader implementation and systemic change to address early drivers of distress.

📱 When Kids Set Screen Time Rules for Parents

In a twist on digital habits, three families experimented with letting kids dictate their parents' screen time rules. The results revealed not only the struggles of adults adapting to limits but also the deeper dynamics of family interactions. Across the board, parents reported surprising insights into their own habits and a newfound appreciation for being more present.

• Zoe Williams: Her teenage son capped her daily screen time at two hours, halving her usage. Though it highlighted her phone’s addictive pull, it also made her more engaged during family time. She admitted, however, that she missed the convenience and escapism her phone provided.

• Gynelle Leon: Guided by her 6-year-old's rules, Gynelle limited her screen time to school hours. The change improved family evenings and reduced distractions but came at the cost of convenience. Her husband even became her "switchboard," managing urgent messages after her allotted hours.

• Tim Dowling: Using an app that grew virtual trees while blocking his apps, Tim aimed to cut his screen time in half. Though his efforts fell short of the target, he became more mindful of his habits and realized not all screen time is wasted—some is genuinely useful.

This experiment underscores the importance of modeling healthy digital habits for kids while recognizing that balance, not perfection, is key. Even small reductions in screen time opened the door for richer, more meaningful interactions.

🤔 Are They "Choosing Not To" or "Struggling With"?

When children face challenges, parents often assume they are "choosing not to" complete tasks or meet expectations, leading to frustration, punishment, or lectures. However, many behaviors stem from struggles like anxiety, ADHD, sensory sensitivities, or learning differences. Reframing the question to, “Are they struggling with this?” shifts the focus from blame to understanding and helps parents address the root causes.

For example, a preschooler refusing shoes may have sensory issues, while a teen isolating themselves might be battling depression. Observing patterns, asking open-ended questions like “What’s hard about this for you?” and practicing empathy can de-escalate conflicts and foster trust. Children don’t choose to feel overwhelmed or fail—they want to feel capable and understood. By addressing struggles with compassion, parents can build resilience, strengthen bonds, and guide their children toward long-term growth and connection.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Here are some upcoming dates you should know!

• Black History Month (Entire Month) – Celebrates the achievements and contributions of African Americans to history, culture, and society while acknowledging ongoing struggles for equality.

  🗒️ RESOURCE: Explore our Diversity and Inclusion Resources that inspire self-love and pride in one’s uniqueness.

• Children’s Mental Health Week (February 3–9, 2025) – A week dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of children's mental health, emphasizing the importance of early support.

• Time to Talk Day (February 6, 2025) – Encourages open conversations about mental health to reduce stigma and promote understanding.

  
  🗒️ RESOURCE: Download a resource pack with materials to help start mental health conversations in your community.

• Safer Internet Day (February 11, 2025) – Promotes safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially among children and young people.

• World Day of Social Justice (February 20, 2025) – Focuses on promoting social justice, including efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion, and unemployment.