Put mental health on the back-to-school checklist

By Mary Shea
University of Kentucky

Back to school is a busy time for everyone with lots of items on the checklist – school supplies, making sure your child is up-to-date with their immunizations, sports physicals, plans for after-school care, and more!

Another important item to check off is a mental health check-in with your child. Going back to school can be stressful and full of uncertainty – especially for those with a history of mental health concerns. Mental health care needs to be on the checklist to help set your child up for a successful school year.

Here are some tips for getting your child or teenager’s mental health in shape for back to school:

• Start a conversation. Ask your child or teenager about how they are feeling about the upcoming school year. Have them share one thing they are looking forward to and one thing they are not looking forward to. Even if they are worried about something that you don’t think will happen, show you are listening to their concerns before moving to problem-solving and reassuring them.
• Get back into a routine before school starts. Even if the first day of school is weeks away, start scheduling bedtime and have them wake, get dressed and eat breakfast as they would during the school year. Likewise, scheduling meal and snack time and setting limits on screen time will help ease them back into their school year routine.
• Set up a trial run. This is especially important if you have a child or teen who has avoided school in the past or is transitioning to a new school. Driving by the school and walking the halls will help them orient themselves in a new space. Open houses and back-to-school nights are great ways to help kids find their classes, figure out where their lockers are and get a general lay of the land before the first day.
• Make a plan. A successful school year starts with a plan. This is especially important if they have struggled at school before. Make organization and time management a priority, and talk about what they can do when things don’t go according to plan. Consider sharing the plan with a support staff member at school.
• Enlist the help of their pediatrician. Remind them that they can always come to you with questions or to talk about how they’re feeling. Encourage your child or teen to talk with their doctor about struggles they have been having at school. Remember that back-to-school sports physical you need? That could be a good opportunity for a mental health check-in.

Remember that it may take a few weeks for the whole family to get back into the groove of the school year, especially when faced with changes such as starting a new school. It’s normal for your child to experience difficult thoughts, feelings and emotions, but when those feelings interfere with their success at school, talk to their pediatrician about how to support them.

This week’s health column is by Mary Shea, pediatric psychologist at Kentucky Children’s Hospital.