Tips to help kids mentally prepare for upcoming school year

NEWS RELEASE

PATHSTONE MENTAL HEALTH

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Getting into the back-to-school routine isn’t always an easy feat for kids and families. Pathstone Mental Health is here to help with a Back-to-School Prep Kit that is full of resources and tips to help children mentally prepare for the upcoming school year.

In September we face more than a handful of emotional adjustments to getting back to school. All students will have to adjust for the coming school year, and those who already struggle with mental health issues may need some extra support behind them.

We want children, youth and families to thrive. We know change most successfully comes through small incremental steps. This back to school package promotes how children, youth and families can make small steps now to ensure success at school. Erin Clayton – Director of Quality Assurance, Research and Planning

At Pathstone Mental Health, we proudly offer a range of dedicated services tailored to all children, youth, and families in the Niagara region. Our services are designed to address the unique needs of the youth and families in Niagara, ensuring a compassionate and accessible approach to mental health support.

Pathstone Mental Health’s Back-to-School Prep Kit:

Expand their social circle.

If your kids haven’t been interacting as much with others face-to-face, you may want to plan a few outings. This will help your child/youth become more confident about the in-person socialization that will happen and will give them a chance to catch-up on some of the social development they may have missed. Some examples of socialized outings may include eating out at a restaurant, having a “playdate” with friends, or going to more public places where interaction is bound to happen.

Reduce screen time.

While social media and devices in general, have helped us all stay connected, it is time to reassess just how much is really needed. Remember, there are negative effects when “social” screen time extends past 2 hours per day. Try capping it at no more than 90 minutes a day (for teens), and even reducing that time further in 15-minute increments until it reaches normal levels. When reducing screen time, swap in real life activities like outdoor play, baking, crafts, and board games, where you are able to.

Let’s work on improving focus and staying organized

Play games that will help your child/youth rebuild their executive functioning skills before they head back to school. Games that promote concentration, planning, the use of memory, and even team building will help. Exercising these skills will make going back to school a little less challenging and they will jump back into education mode with more ease.

Anxiety is in the genes. This is where parents need to come in.

Parents play a large roll in the development of anxiety, both biologically and environmentally in their kids. About 65% of our temperament is related to our genes and anxious parents tend to produce anxious kids. This goes beyond genetics though, and parents need to know they can change the outcome for their kids, but they need to manage their own emotions first.

Practice the normal back to school routine.

Some good sleep tips from the experts that benefit everyone are:

• Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day (Yes, even on weekends)
• Keep your house cool. It’s easier to fall asleep when your house is kept at 65-70-degree temperatures.
• Get to bed earlier as a family.
• Practice your morning routine (making the bed, having breakfast, packing lunch)
• Track your route to school.

*For students attending school for the first time, or a new school, getting familiar with new steps and settings can be helpful.

Talk to your child about the friends they have that are in the same class.

Getting kids to visualize their school day can offer some ease.

Pathstone is here, lean on us.

Just under half (42%) of students say that in the past year they wanted to talk to someone about their mental health problem, but didn’t know where to turn.

You are not alone, reach out to us and let’s face these challenges together. Connect with us directly at 905-688-6850 extension 8.

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