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It’s natural for kids to feel apprehensive aboutgoing back to school, but those worries might be a little more challenging these days. According to recent research, the mental health of kids living in the US is in crisis.

Here’s what your kid might be worrying about, and how to help them.

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Ongoing COVID-19 Stress

Stress relating to COVID-19 is understandable, saysZishan Khan, MD, a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist with Mindpath Health. “It’s very common for children to continue to have anxiety regarding life now that things are slowly improving since the beginning of the pandemic,” he says.

Zishan Khan, MDLots of children struggle with having to return to school after getting comfortable with virtual learning and having to leave the safety and comfort of their home.

Zishan Khan, MD

Lots of children struggle with having to return to school after getting comfortable with virtual learning and having to leave the safety and comfort of their home.

This anxiety doesn’t necessarily only have to do with a fear of getting sick or spreading the virus to others. “Lots of children struggle with having to return to school after getting comfortable with virtual learning and having to leave the safety and comfort of their home,” Dr. Khan says.

Dr. Khan continues, “They may have developed poor habits as a result of unstructured daily living or lack of their usual discipline that they normally would have had during the school year when they attended in person.”

A Verywell Report: Parents Have Increasing Concerns About Kids’ Mental Health

Picking Up on Adult Worries

The more we understand aboutchildren’s mental health, the more we realize that so-called “adult” worries (rising living costs, political unrest, etc, etc) have a massive impact on the youngest members of our families too.

Kids need to feel heard and validated, so even if you think their emotions are irrational or exaggerated, it’s important to acknowledge how they feel. “Rather than say, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ say something like, ‘I know you’re really worried about this,'” says Morin.

Educating your child about anxiety helps them learn to recognize the physical and emotional symptoms they’re experiencing. And modeling healthy coping skills, like exercising, doing something creative, or talking about your feelings, equips with with crucial tools for the rest of their life.

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Helping Your Child Transition Back to School

Whatever is at the root of your child’s back-to-school worries, you can do several things to help make the transition less stressful.

Doreen Marshall, PhD, the Vice President of Mission Engagement at American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, recommends encouraging your child to connect to their school’s mental health resources, learn what services are available, and utilize them when needed.

Doreen Marshall, PhDReach out if you need support—the best thing we can do for those around us is to model taking care of our own mental health.

Doreen Marshall, PhD

Reach out if you need support—the best thing we can do for those around us is to model taking care of our own mental health.

Make your own mental health a priority too. “Reach out if you need support—the best thing we can do for those around us is to model taking care of our own mental health,” says Marshall. “Addressing your own worries will better equip you to support your child through this time.”

Morin also advises establishing predictable routines for your kids. “When they know what to expect, they’ll feel less anxious about what comes next,” she says.

The occasional mental health day can be helpful if it’s used to help your child reset, learn new coping skills, or get treatment for mental health. But Morin warns that they should be used with caution.

“Avoidance makes anxiety worse,” she says. “So allowing a child to stay home to avoid giving a presentation in front of the class only provides temporary relief. They may be better served going to school and facing their fear with some extra support or conditions put into place.”

Mental Health Days Help Kids, But Systemic Barriers Prevent Widespread Use

1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.Children’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1 Source

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.Children’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.Children’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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