College offers puppies and coloring books to deal with finals stress

[Magpie]

I have no problem telling my kids this kind of stuff is ridiculous. This has nothing to do with true mental health therapy, this is the coddling of young adults, and that does not belong an a college campus. But hey, YMMV.

So says a member of a Disney fan board...

 

[DisAuntie]

I have no problem telling my kids this kind of stuff is ridiculous. This has nothing to do with true mental health therapy, this is the coddling of young adults, and that does not belong an a college campus. But hey, YMMV.

Lots of adults color to de stress. How is this any different?

 

[Aliceacc]

When I was in college, the drinking age was 18 and way too many kids smoked and drank their troubles away.

Puppies and coloring books seem a whole lot safer. At the end of the day, we all have to learn how to manage stress. If a coloring book or a puppy or a white noise machine at night or whatever does the trick, then I have no problems with any of it.

 

[mjkacmom]

I wish they did this at dd20's university (its way too big). She's trying to maintain her 3.9 average at the business school, 5 year program that she is attempting to finish in 4 years, while waitressing 3 shifts every weekend to pay for her rent and food. While she misses her family, she really misses her dog! She averages about 5 hours of sleep a night. I support any program that pairs up shelter dogs with people, students, elderly, prisoners... win -win!

Ds18 would like it, too, although he doesn't push himself like his sister. I'd rather have him petting dogs than drinking and taking drugs, and again, giving shelter dogs human contact, which can lead to them being more likely to be adoptable.

 

[jetskigrl]

DD is in her first semester of college and they brought in puppies right around mid-terms. She loves dogs and had a blast playing when them in between classes. But she had no idea they were there for stress relief until I told her She thought it was just an adoption fair or something (since this was her first time encountering animals on a school campus).

So while she enjoyed playing with puppies, she certainly didn't need them to handle the stress. And if she enjoys playing with puppies, I'm certainly not going to tell her I think it is stupid or it means she can't handle stress. It just means she likes puppies

Although, I do agree that it is not the college's responsibility to provide stress relief. By college age, the students need to learn to handle that on their own. But if the kids enjoy playing with the puppies and it gives the dogs human interaction, then I don't have a problem with it.

 

[MinnieMouse84]

I don't really see the issue. There are many students who have much more to deal with than simply school. Many...
... have part time if not full time jobs (mostly in retail, which during the holiday season is stressful enough)
... have anxiety or depression or both
... are far away from their families very close to the holidays and may not even be returning home for the holidays

I think this is a step towards schools realizing that they need to do something about the mental health of their students (not sure why this is considered a joke among those who are older). There's enough stigma around mental health already and it doesn't help when adults are telling younger adults that they shouldn't be stressed, or they don't need anything to help them through the rough patches. Suicide is the second leading cause in death among young people and isn't something that should be taken lightly - http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/campus-cri...es-rising-among-university-students-1.1463654 .

I don't think telling your kids that things like this are dumb or unnecessary is a great idea either. By doing that you're increasing the stigma around mental health for your child suggesting that they shouldn't need something like that because you raised them better than that or that it's only for weak students who can't handle school, and shouldn't be in university.

YES YES YES. Thank you.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I agree. I work at a university, and we do various things throughout the year to help kids manage stress, plus extra at exam times. We have a Veterinary College as part of the University, so yes, we include animal visits and colouring and plenty of other things. I think it is valuable to teach kids that there are a variety of ways to deal with stress, and give them these opportunities to see what works for them. We have quite a few international students - including refugees - who are far from home and will not be going home during the holidays - helping them deal with this stress is a positive thing, not a negative one.

 

[Missy1961]

When I was in college, the drinking age was 18 and way too many kids smoked and drank their troubles away.

Puppies and coloring books seem a whole lot safer. At the end of the day, we all have to learn how to manage stress. If a coloring book or a puppy or a white noise machine at night or whatever does the trick, then I have no problems with any of it.

That was my thought as well. If cuddling a puppy or coloring in a coloring book helps someone, it's sure as heck better than drinking the stress away.

Heck, I use coloring to de-stress. I learned the joy of coloring when my nephews (now 25) were little guys. I had all sorts of coloring books and crayons for them to use whenever they visited, and they wanted me to color with them, and I did. I loved it, and I still do it today.

I get that it's very popular to pick on these so-called snowflakes, but if bringing in puppies and coloring books helps, I say go for it. I look at my nieces and nephews who are going to college, working part time jobs and dealing with plenty of real life stress. Heck, they're not guaranteed jobs so they can pay off those horrible school loans. Kids today have tons of real life stress. I think it's cool that the college is giving them a good way to work through it.

 

[okeydokey]

I'm doing my part, my dd is a college student now. I have 2 more that will be. I promise I am raising them in a way where they will never need a "safe space" or a place to pet puppies and color because their exams are too stressful.
I am also making a list of schools that offer this kind of crap so they can avoid going to them LOL

Who said they need a safe space. I know using that term is trendy now and a way to help some feel superior to others, but safe space was not mentioned in the article.

If I walked by a group of puppies on campus I would surely stop and pat them and feel happy. Is there something wrong with that. I guess we could go back to the time of dealing with stress with drugs and alcohol. I prefer puppies.

Make your list a comprehensive one. Many schools have a very active Dean of Students department that work to make the college experience a good one for students.

 

[Magpie]

Although, I do agree that it is not the college's responsibility to provide stress relief.

Well, colleges do provide free mental health services to students who need them. So, in a way, this is already a role they've voluntarily taken on.

 

[xjillianpaige]

Lots of adults color to de stress. How is this any different?

Coloring is one of my favorite ways to destress. I used to go on runs, but with how bad my knees are now that's just not a choice for me, so I color.

My school used to bring people in and you could go get a quick massage. They also had the therapeutic dogs around campus. I loved to pop by and get a little lovin' from a dog! Especially since I was missing my own from home.

Uni can be stressful! Especially when there is SO much pressure on people to succeed. A little stress relief doesn't hurt anyone.

 

[MinnieMouse84]

I'm doing my part, my dd is a college student now. I have 2 more that will be. I promise I am raising them in a way where they will never need a "safe space" or a place to pet puppies and color because their exams are too stressful.
I am also making a list of schools that offer this kind of crap so they can avoid going to them LOL

That's like saying you're raising your kids in a way where they'll never need chemotherapy. I hope they never do, but it's beyond your control.

 

[MinnieMouse84]

Ugh, sorry. I kept quoting instead of editing.

 

[MinnieMouse84]

Ugh, sorry. I kept quoting instead of editing.

 

[superme80]

As much as it makes me giggle, I do support it. I never realized how much stress I held until I got my puppy. Honestly a few puppy snuggles has helped alleviate a huge amount of stress.

 

[MillauFr]

I'm doing my part, my dd is a college student now. I have 2 more that will be. I promise I am raising them in a way where they will never need a "safe space" or a place to pet puppies and color because their exams are too stressful.
I am also making a list of schools that offer this kind of crap so they can avoid going to them LOL

So would you rather them deal with stress the same way I did back in the 90s and drink and smoke pot until I am stoned??? The coloring books are a far better choice. I almost killed myself and others driving drunk.

 

[klacey1]

This is nothing new. Plenty of colleges bring in anti-anxiety animals or plan events where students can destress a bit. I really don't get why that's a problem. When adults are faced with a stressful situation, it'd be considered totally callous to say, "Oh just suffer through it. Don't reach out for help or engage in any activities that might make you feel better!"
With how much college costs, don't we want our students to feel that their grades are important and that performing well on a final exam is really important? Sounds like a pretty stress-inducing situation to me.

 

[momz]

Wow, really? To young adults in their early twenties who have chosen a different path outside of college, this kind of thing is laughable. Want to pet puppies? Go to a shelter or pet store. Want to color? Buy your own coloring book and crayons.

I guess I'm not feeling all that bad for adults who voluntarily chose the stress of college over the stress of another path. What makes them special? Stress is a part of life. It is not the responsibility of other adults to make sure you have a fresh box of crayons and a fresh color page.

really? Puppies and crayons? Really? Preschool stuff? Do these college students have teachers that wipe their noses and squirt hand sanitizer on their hands before lunch too?

Poor babies. Bless their hearts.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

So says a member of a Disney fan board...

i kinda doubt PP's employer set that up though.

 

[mnrose]

Hahaha!

Yes, stress is real, & we all managed to get through college & final exams w/o coloring books & puppies & safe spaces. And I love puppies!

Seriously, what kinds of kids are we raising that they can't deal w/ the real world as young adults?

But, back when I was in college, we dealt with stress by drinking too much, using too many illegal drugs, and having sex with random strangers. Personally, I'll take puppies and coloring books.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Lots of adults color to de stress. How is this any different?

Because my work place doesn't provide the coloring book, crayons and a place to color.

I provide my own supplies and place.