As someone who lived in Salisbury for two years, I have a great deal of respect for the Salisbury Post. However, one of your recent articles has troubled me. The piece, “Tips for dealing with back-to-school anxiety,” discusses the ways parents can try to ease the anxiety children may feel when returning to school in the fall, and how to combat it from home.

This article paints a picture of how one specific type of family, and child, is “supposed” to operate. In reality, many familial situations cannot fit into a daily routine. Some families have single parents and blue-collar workers who live hectic lives, simply because they have to. These families are common, especially in areas of Rowan County and Salisbury.

Consider a different perspective — that of the child.

As a child, and even now as a college student, I have struggled with immense anxiety, particularly surrounding the beginning of the school year. As a student who dealt with the anxiety, as well as cases of bullying in middle school, I never did much discussing on the topic. Even when my mother asked about these specific things, I often remained silent. It was not for a lack of her trying, but I was never comfortable talking about the issues I faced in school. Whether it was a new school or an old one, these issues did not disappear, and feeling forced to speak about them was less than helpful.

I understand and appreciate this article, because anxiety is an issue many students face in different capacities, and I saw it throughout my years at Rowan County Early College. However, I believe that examining the same topic from the perspective of different home and family lives would prove to be more applicable across Rowan County.

— Hannah Myers

Greenville

Hannah Myers is an honors student at East Carolina University.