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Key TakeawaysIn the past year, instances of mental health crises have increased for children and teenagers.States and school administrations are now recognizing the importance of mental health days for students as a form of support.Paying attention to your child’s behavior and prioritizing open conversations can determine whether a mental health day is appropriate.
Key Takeaways
In the past year, instances of mental health crises have increased for children and teenagers.States and school administrations are now recognizing the importance of mental health days for students as a form of support.Paying attention to your child’s behavior and prioritizing open conversations can determine whether a mental health day is appropriate.
Now, as this demographic returns to the classroom and readjusts to a school environment while still dealing with the ongoing stress of the pandemic, states and school administrations are expanding their permission ofmental health days for kidsand teens.
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In the past three years, several states, including Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Kentucky have passed bills allowing students to miss school for mental health reasons.And many others have introduced bills for the same reasons. This is a major step in prioritizing mental health and providing support.
“We’ve spent decades raising our standards of learning, now is the time to raise our standards of care,” says Matt Shenker, MEd, a former elementary school counselor who now serves as resident in counseling atThriveworks.
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The Importance of Mental Health Days
In school, students navigate academic and social lives, processing new knowledge while being held to increasingly higher standards at an increasingly faster pace. Most children will, at some point, have difficulty handling this.
“School is stressful,” Shenker says. “Even with the most caring teachers and the most supportive systems, the most well-resourced children still experience immense stress at school.”
Matt Shenker, MEdGiving students mental health days makes teaching and learning more effective as students will grasp concepts sooner and retain them more deeply if they experience less chronic stress.
Matt Shenker, MEd
Giving students mental health days makes teaching and learning more effective as students will grasp concepts sooner and retain them more deeply if they experience less chronic stress.
Shenker notes that schools have consistently communicated that students’ production and performance levels are top priority. But many schools fail to invest the time and resources necessary for adequate emotional support for their students.
Offering mental health daysis a step in the right direction, and students are in support. A poll conducted in 2020 found that, of the 1,500 teenagers who completed the survey, 78% believed schools should support mental health days.
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When Should a Child Take a Mental Health Day?
While mental health days shouldn’t be used to help a child avoid situations at school that could be making them uncomfortable, like a person, test or presentation, Shenker says it’s difficult to relay objective mental health day criteria that fits every child.
However, there are some signs to look out for that can indicate a negative shift in mental health. Some of these include exhaustion, stomach aches, headaches and “erratic” shifts in mood. If a child isn’t taking interest in activities they typically enjoy, it might be time for a mental check-in.
However, it is important to pay attention to how you ask. Respect is necessary, as children won’t always want to share every detail of their inner and outer worlds with their parents.
“The more a parent insists a child shares things with them that they’re not ready to, the more likely a child is to hide and lie about aspects of their life,” Shenker says. “Instead, it’s essential parents learn the art of connecting with their child while allowing emotional ownership.”
Parents should give children the option to share while emphasizing it’s their choice. Parents can remind their kids that they are interested and available to listen and help. Shenker recommends questions as simple as “How do you feel right now?” and “Do you know what you need right now?”
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How to Spend a Mental Health Day
First and foremost, a mental health day should be focused on relaxing and recharging. An attempt to cram too many wellness activities into a single day could just lead to further stress. But allowing a child to spend the day scrolling or staring at a screen may not be helpful either.
To help a child spend their mental health day in a healthy way, keep in mind that this can be an opportunity for fun and celebration of their efforts in schools, child and adolescent psychiatristHarold S. Koplewicz, MD, president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute, told theNew York Times.Spend some quality time together preparing a healthy meal or incorporating some physical activity or time in nature into the day. Plan at least one fun event that can take a child’s mind off any stressors.
Every child’s method of mental refueling will differ; the important thing is to help them figure out what that method is and how best to incorporate it into not only their day off but their daily lives.
What This Means For YouAllowing your child to open up about their feelings and sources of stress can strengthen their emotional intelligence, as well as your relationship.
What This Means For You
Allowing your child to open up about their feelings and sources of stress can strengthen their emotional intelligence, as well as your relationship.
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4 Sources
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.
Leeb RT, Bitsko RH, Radhakrishnan L, Martinez P, Njai R, Holland KM.Mental health-related emergency department visits among children aged <18 years during the COVID-19 pandemic — United States, January 1–October 17, 2020.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(45):1675-1680. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6945a3
New York Times.Teens are advocating for mental health days off school.
4-H, Harris Insights & Analytics.Teen mental health.
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