Jehovah’s Witnesses help children with anxiety

Going back to school can be stressful for a lot of children.

Going back to school during a pandemic adds another layer to that.

With many Jehovah’s Witnesses students returning to in-person learning, officials have been trying to come up with strategies on how to help children through a tough time.

“I think that Jehovah’s Witness parents, along with most other parents, understand that education doesn’t really happen at school,” said U.S. Jehovah’s Witnesses spokesman Robert Hendriks III. “It is just augmenting what they are getting at home.”

Hendriks said that in order for parents to prepare children for their school, they have to prepare them for the stress of school.

“I think about Proverbs 22:6, where it says train up a boy in a way you should go, even when he grows old, he will not part from it,” said Hendriks. “This training has to be at home.”

According to Hendriks, the pandemic has added stress to students who are returning to school.

“The issue of wearing a face covering has become politicized,” said Hendriks. “What do our children do? It may be that they need to be prepared to face ridicule if their parents are saying you need to wear a mask.”

He added that there is an extra element of bringing home a virus that may not be serious to children, but can affect family members.

“That is heavy burden to put on kids when they are already stressed about tests and learning,” said Hendriks.

Aiden Adema, an Oconto Falls student who began high school this year, said that he and his classmates went virtual for weeks last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I didn’t like going virtual,” said Adema. “It is a lot easier for me to understand the information when we are in class. It is hard not having the teacher face to face.”

Hendriks said families are turning towards the Jehovah’s Witnesses website, jw.org, to find resources to help reduce children’s stress.

“One of the tools that is available, especially for young ones, is the Caleb and Sofia series,” said Hendriks. “It is an animated series that details tough issues that kids are facing today at school.”

He added that another resource has become popular as well.

“There is another animated series,” said Hendriks. “It is an animated whiteboard that details how you can fight back without your fists when bullying happens.”

Oconto Falls natives Jesse and Susan Adema made the decision to send their son Aiden back to in-person school.

“As a parent, you have to figure out what is best for your child,” said Susan Adema.

With Aiden Adema’s first year of high school, the Adema family found it appropriate to return to in-person learning.

“Especially with high school, you are planning more for what you are going to do in the future,” said Susan Adema. “I think that it is more important that he stays focused these next four years.”

Even though the family enjoyed having Aiden home with them, Jesse Adema said the quality of what he was learning was deteriorating.

“It is not the fault of the school, but they are not set up to do that type of learning,” said Jesse Adema.

Susan Adema said that her and Jesse were both overwhelmed with Aiden at home learning, due to them having to work and not always being available to help out.

Aiden Adema said that he noticed a big life change with returning to in-person learning.

“My routine has definitely changed,” said Aiden Adema. “Waking up earlier is part of it and trying to fit everything in.”

Although this is the case, Aiden Adema said that it does help to relieve some of that stress.

“In virtual learning, you had to do work, where you really didn’t know what was going on,” said Aiden Adema. “Whereas in in-person learning, you can actually go up to teachers and talk to them and they can help you when you are struggling.”

Susan Adema said seeing Aiden go back to school helps to relieve some of their stress, but it also adds more due to his safety with the pandemic.

Jesse Adema said that the family has worked together to help reduce their stress as a family, including using jw.org.

“They had a little thing about pandemic relief,” said Susan Adema. “It helped us with that.”

Aiden Adema said that used the website for a learning experience.

“There was a video that shows you want happens when a virus comes and how it evolves,” said Aiden Adema.

“There is also a video that shows you ways to manage your time,” said Susan Adema. “That was really useful.”

Aiden Adema said that he will continue using these resources and strategies in his life after the pandemic.

“It helps with everything in your day-to-day life,” said Aiden Adema. “You go on the website and it has an answer for almost every question that you have.”

lreimer@newmedia-wi.com