As the bus slowed to a halt outside of his house, third-grader Jamie felt the tears that were welling in his eyes. The same tears he’d pushed back since he stepped on the bus that morning. He knew that he just needed to hold them in for a couple of more seconds as he made his way through the aisle, dragging his Spiderman jacket behind him. The moment Jamie opened his front door he lost it. Everything was upsetting him. The dog was in his face, his t-shirt was itchy, and his little sister was being too loud. Before his mom could try and derail the inevitable it happened– a meltdown of tears, heavy breathing, and flailing his body around in frustration. He slumped down to the ground and the tears started flowing. His mom tried to ask him what happened at school to make him so upset. However, Jamie couldn’t even form words with how heavy he was breathing. The situation only escalated as both Jamie and his mom got frustrated with the other not understanding. To an outsider this would look like a major meltdown. To Jamie’s family this is a Wednesday. Jamie’s mom couldn’t take these meltdowns anymore, and they were only becoming more frequent. She hated to say it, but she was starting to dread hearing the bus pull up every day, because of the energy shift in the house the minute Jamie got upset. Feeling that way made her feel like a bad mom. She knew something was off. She could see it in his eyes when she got him ready to go to school that something was wrong. He seemed almost scared to go. Jamie’s mom started to do research on why a child might be having regular meltdowns after school. She stumbled upon the Parent Alliance’s website, and she found just what she was looking for. This was very out-of-character, but she gave them a call. She was immediately listened to and validated. For the first time in a while, she felt understood. The Parent Alliance helped her realize that maybe Jamie was struggling with anxiety, particularly school-related anxiety. They also gave her some ideas on how to broach this topic with Jamie, and even role played the conversation with her, so she felt prepared. Once she was ready, she sat Jamie down and they started talking. By the end of the conversation, she was able to understand that Jamie sometimes felt “dumber” than his classmates, especially when it came to math. Jamie’s mom knew that math wasn’t his favorite subject, but she did not realize how much it was impacting him. The Parent Alliance encouraged Jamie’s mom to set up a meeting with his teacher to get on the same page as her, and they even virtually attended it with her, so she didn’t have to go alone. Jamie’s mom took charge of the meeting confidently. She knew that if she forgot to bring up a point that she wanted to mention, the Parent Alliance had her back, and they would make sure it was heard. By the end of the conversation, she understood what the teacher was expecting of Jamie and the teacher knew that Jamie was struggling with anxiety. Fast forward a few months later and Jamie has a therapist, and is learning new skills to manage his anxiety, with both his mom and his teacher’s help. Jamie is just one of the Pennsylvania children we have helped thrive this year. Because of his mom’s love and determination, mixed with the knowledge and expertise of the Parent Alliance Jamie is no longer having meltdowns after school. He knows where he needs to go when he feels anxious, and he doesn’t feel that buildup of emotions throughout the day anymore. He also knows, that if he gets home and feels upset – his mom is a safe place to turn for support. Now Jamie’s mom smiles as she hears his bus pull up and she can’t wait to hear about his day. Jamie is not the only child struggling with anxiety. His mom was not the only parent struggling to figure out how to best support her child. If you have ever attended a meeting for your child by yourself, you know how intimidating it can be. No parent should have to face that alone – and you can make sure of it. Your donation today can ensure that a family, just like Jamie's, has the Parent Alliance by their side when they need it most. For a monthly gift of just $5, you can make sure a parent doesn’t have to attend their next meeting alone. A meeting that could change their child’s life forever.