Brookview Health Office

    We have all had the experience of feeling agitated, cranky and tense on Sunday night, dreading Monday morning and all of the week's ups and downs.  The weekend's change of pace is coming to an end and we can feel it in our stomachs even if we are not thinking about it.  Some children (and adults) are especially prone to strong Sunday Night Stomach Reactions.
Most of us react to anxiety by having the urge to avoid whatever it is we think is making us anxious.  This may be based on a biological reaction to help us survive in dangerous settings (the jungle, tornado) but sometimes can misfire or fire off too easily.  Our body reacts to a test like it should react to a lion jumping out from behind a bush. It can even react to Sunday Night like it really is the end of the world and not just the end of the weekend.
What can we do to help ourselves and our children manage Sunday Night Stomach and Monday Morning Moans?

• Talk about school during the weekend in a positive way so it doesn't get so far from us
• Be sympathetic but don't burden an anxious child with our childhood fearfulness
• Work with the school to make some kind of Monday morning special event for the children
• Make Sunday evening special and keep busy but not frantic
• Do not save all the homework for Sunday night - set a goal to have it out of the way eearlier
• DO NOT GIVE IN and let your child stay home - Monday Night will be even worse!!!!
• Talk about school some even on vacations, expect even more dread so take time to cope
• Assume most physical complaints on Sunday night are reactions to anxiety
• Try to stay on a schedule and be sure everyone gets enough sleep on the weekend

Remember and remind your child - once you get going if feels better !!!!!!
 

Please also continue to tell us what illness or symptoms your child has when you call to report an absence (336-1630).  In this way we can track the diseases occurring in our school.  All information given to the office is kept confidential.

---

Back to Brookview Home!

Webpages created by Bob Schultz
updated 1/11/2003 by Mrs. Brehm and B. Schultz