YOUR LIFE.

• Position: Co-parenting and back-to-school tips - College students are feeling lonely according to a survey - Home maintenance

BACK-TO-SCHOOL CO-PARENTING TIPS

Many parents face challenges throughout the year, but those who co-parent may have additional ones that need to be addressed for back to school. 'Children enter into each school year both excited and nervous about what lies ahead," says Jeffrey Scott Steiner, executive director of Dad's Resource Center. "More than anything, they need to know that both parents are working together and are there for them as they go through the journey."

Here are some back-to-school co-parenting tips to keep in mind:

Forget playing games. One-upping each other never leads to healthy outcomes. The parents need to be a team with one goal: putting the child first.

Work out the details. Before school starts, hold a meeting to discuss the rules concerning homework routines, bedtimes, special projects, lunches, and teacher conferences. Determine who will help with what and how things need to be done.

Attend important events. Whenever possible, both parents should try to attend important events. This includes parent-teacher conferences, school performances, sports, etc.

Remember the agreement. Keep the parenting agreement in mind, but be flexible enough not to create problems where there does not need to be any. A little flexibility can go a long way toward keeping the peace, which is healthy.

Communicate together. Aim for parents to communicate about issues directly rather than sending the messages through the child. It is best not to have the child be caught in the middle, even if it is always delivering messages.

Determine costs. Attending school comes with costs to cover such things as clothing, supplies, and field trips. If it is not in the parenting agreement, figure out how the costs will be covered.

"Children today face extraordinary pressure," says Joel N. Myers, founder and chair of Dad's Resource Center. 'With the Internet and social media, they are bombarded by negative outside influences. The high costs fa post-secondary education and our rapidly evolving job market make it increasingly difficult for them to plan for their future. Now, more than ever, there is an urgent need for both parents to be fully involved in the education and upbringing of their children."

COLLEGE STUDENTS FEELING LONELY

"While today's Gen Z college students acknowledge the support being provided by their schools' administrations, this generation has been impacted in unprecedented ways by the pandemic and other major world events and many are still struggling.

"Of the approximately one-third of students who have considered dropping out, 60% cite physical and mental health as their No. 1 reason, replacing financial problems at the top of the list," says Jeni Golomb, senior vice president of Product and Marketing Strategy at Sodexo North America, which conducts an annual Student Lifestyle Survey. "Our study provides insights on how to combat this ever-rising concern of mental health decline."

The report categorizes the student insights into four main dimensions: resilience, social success, financial wellbeing, and physical health. Some of the key findings include:

* 53% of college students report that they are concerned with feeling lonely, and 47% with feeling isolated.

* More than 60% report having felt overwhelmed and anxious, a 50% increase from the year prior. Some 87% say that eating together is the most typical way that they socialize with friends, and more than 50% expect their campus' dining hall to serve as that place to connect.

* Four out of five students indicate they are concerned about money and 41% admit to having skipped a meal to save money.

* Half of those surveyed say they are concerned about the state of their overall health.

* When deciding which university to attend, 82% seek out a friendly atmosphere where they feel they "fit."

DON'T "FALL" DOWN ON MAINTENANCE...