Siena Blog

It’s been quite a year, hasn’t it? 

Given how much has changed in terms of parenting, schooling, work–life balance, and more, parents should remember that they’re not alone. A few months ago, Siena counselor Holly Rothrock wrote an excellent blog post on experiential self-care lessons. While originally written for students, these lessons are relevant for parents in caring for their mental health and feeling connected.

Online Resources for Support and Community

Siena’s website has a number of resources for parents about learning differences, college applications, and more. Here’s a list of books we have in our parent resources library that you might also find helpful. Parents needing to feel connected as more schools are reopening could check some of these educational resources:

• Parents’ Place of Maryland includes access to links, podcasts, and more about schooling, mental health, and COVID.
• The Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) has some resources specific to COVID and telework, as well as parenting classes, a blog, and resource library.
• Hey Sigmund has plenty of good material about anxiety management and sleep habits for kids.
• Child Mind Institute, while not a support group per se, has a lot of great information to complement the above resources.

Parents could also check if their children’s schools have any online groups for sharing resources, advice, and support. 

Resources for Parents of Children with Learning Differences 

• Community Connections for Parents is a support group for parents of children with learning differences, ADHD, and anxiety.
• The Study Pro (Virginia) hosts a learning series for parents. The topics range from executive functioning and anxiety to writing coaching for various grade levels. 
• ADDitude has ample information for ADHD and a discussion forum.
• On Facebook, parents can consider joining Dyslexia Support and/or Decoding Dyslexia MD. Dyslexia Support is a private group that offers practical advice, book recommendations, and emotional support. Decoding Dyslexia MD is a public group with posts on where to find a tutor, where to get your child assessed, questions about schools, and more.
• WISER has events, webinars, experts, and more for parents of children with learning differences.
• Understood has plenty of information for families, including the Understood Community.

See more of The Siena School blog’s resources for parents, including how new families can connect with the parent community.  

Do you have any favorite or particularly helpful online resources to share? Comment below or email me. You can be anonymous if you wish.

Note: We do not endorse any of these websites or resources. Always check the privacy and appropriateness for your child.