School days: How parents and students can prepare for a positive back to school experience
Photo: Matt Ragland | Unsplash
By Kristen A. Schmitt
With September just around the corner, it’s important to remember that going back to school in person can be an exciting time for some – and a nervous one for others. In fact, for the past two years, students have experienced events that no other generation has encountered all at once: an on-going pandemic, racial reckoning and complicated international conflicts. Add to it remote learning (which was helpful for some, harder for others), missed opportunities and socializing, and academic delays that, for some, have reverberated all the way from kindergarten and, even, into college.
Here are some facts:
91% of parents are concerned about their children’s mental health, according to The State of Youth Mental Health and Our Schools / Daybreak Health report 2022 (YMHOS).
Educators and mental health professionals have ranked mental and emotional health as the top priority for the upcoming school year – higher than cyber bullying and school safety (YMHOS).
Access to care remains a major barrier, and age and poverty level can affect how likely a child or teen receives treatment for anxiety, depression or behavioral problems, according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Severe depression and anxiety are still on the rise among U.S. youth who identify as more than one race, according to Mental Health America (MHA).
The truth: the last two years definitely haven’t been easy for any of us. Yet, while schools prepare mental health support and programs for the upcoming school year, there are things parents and kids can do at home to help ease them into a positive back to school experience.
Get enough sleep.
There have been countless studies linking mental health to the amount of sleep you get each night. Psychotherapists Heather Turgeon and Julie Wright found that one in five teens who sleep five or fewer hours a night experience increased sadness, hopelessness and are more likely to think about suicide. How much sleep is enough? The CDC reports that children between the ages of six and 12 should sleep nine to 12 hours a night and teenagers should sleep between eight and 10 hours each night.
Try not to overschedule.
In this fast-paced, always-connected world, sometimes we forget the importance of taking a breather. Make sure your child has actual downtime or free time after the school day. According to the Cleveland Clinic, overscheduling can lead to increased stress and anxiety and result in academic issues if kids are trying to keep up with too many extracurricular activities plus homework.
Make “screen free” family time and limit social media.
One way to stay connected and informed during the school year is by consciously making “screen free” family time. Eat dinner together and discuss your days. Ask questions. Actively listen. The CDC suggests that parents who regularly engage with their children often understand more of the day-to-day struggles, which creates an open communication pathway for children to feel comfortable and respected in.
While social media has provided the ability to stay connected – even during a pandemic world – there are risks associated with too much social media use that can result in increased anxiety, depression and isolation, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. And parents also need to be aware that too much time online can negatively impact anyone’s mental health – even your own.
Resources
If you think your child may be experiencing a mental health problem, Mental Health America offers two different ways to screen:
The Parent Test is for parents of young people to determine if their child’s emotions, attention, or behaviors might be signs of a problem.
The Youth Test is for young people (age 11-17) who are concerned that their emotions, attention, or behaviors might be signs of a problem.
You can also learn more about mental health issues related to youth and teens by viewing some of our past programs:
Need more tips? Check out NAMI’s Fall 2022 Back to School Resources.