Youth Asset Team Offer Antidote to Student Stress
By Dan Pidgeon - 10/06
NEIRAD enilno edition
The Youth Asset Team (YAT) entered the Darien community last year after the astounding results from last year’s homeroom survey were released. . (for more details see Laura Durham’s story this month)
“Thus far the YAT has been a success and we look forward to more successful visits,” senior Abigail Sickinger said. Sickinger and Katie Duker are lending their talent to this effort.
Students indicated they didn’t feel valued by adults. They also said they had trouble with planning and decision making in their stressful lives. The YAT’s goal is to remedy the study’s results to improve life for DHS teens.
The group has already gone to Hindley School and hopes to visit Royle School. At Hindley, the YTA talked about how parents can motivate and better interact with their kids. They discussed communication, self-esteem, creative activities, and social competence.
To find out more information about the parent and child relationship, the newly formed Youth Asset Team is seeking student opinion to help make parents part of the solution. Neirad Enlino decided to help out. Here is what a few students had told us.
Freshman Andrew Maley
“Parents should realize that not everything said is rude and to not make faces when they are yelling because it makes us laugh and sometimes gets us into more trouble.”
Sophomore Bryan Previte
“I would advise parents to respect their kids and the activities they want to participate in, as well as their choices in general.”
Junior Caitlin Shea
“I would advise parents to give their kids more freedom and let them make their own choices, basically stay out of their personal lives.”
Junior Natalie Rowe
“Parents should give their kids more space and freedom.”
Senior Ricky Hodges
“Parents shouldn’t worry about things that haven’t happened and be concerned with the present not the future. They often get into their own head and worry too much as well.”
If anyone is interested in participating and joining the Youth Asset Team please contact Abigail or Laura at ASickinger5@darienps.org or LRhein5@darienps.org.
