Getting kids ready for another school year means back-to-school shopping, fresh haircuts and returning to a school routine. Dr. Howard. Y. Liu, a child psychiatrist and chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Communications, is also a father of four and he shares five things he does for his kids’ back-to-school mental health.
Dr. Liu says with these tips parents can help their kids manage their back-to-school stress and anxiety.
- Spend quality time together on a regular basis - Spending one-on-one time with your child before or after school is a great way to encourage conversations about their mental health and emotional well-being. Even if it’s just 10 minutes in the car on the way to school, it’s a good time to check in with them.
- Talk about bullying - You may not think it’s happening, but according to the CDC, around one in five high school students report being bullied at school and more than one in six say they’ve been bullied online. Liu says as a child psychiatrist, he’s found kids won’t talk about bullying unless you directly ask them. He suggests talking about verbal, physical and online bullying, as well as how to help someone if they’re being bullied.
- Get back into a routine early - This expert recommends getting kids back into their school sleep routine at least three weeks before school starts so they have time to adjust.
- Have family meal time every day - "A lot of good research shows that family mealtime together is really an anchor," Liu explains. "It doesn't matter what meal — it can be breakfast, lunch, a snack or dessert — doesn't matter, but that time is actually really protective."
- Quality exercise - Being active is a “really important” tool to help manage anxiety and depression, Liu says, so make sure your kid is getting their exercise.
Source: Today
Scott's Thoughts:
- Who has time to check in during the school commute? That’s when they’re telling you they forgot their lunch, water bottle or homework!
- I know I sound old saying this... but didn't summer break used to be longer?
- Does your family eat meals together every day? How do you make it happen?