Going back to school can be an exciting and challenging time for students. It’s never too early to start planning for the year; from meeting a new teacher to getting back into the rhythms of waking up early and doing homework, preparation is key. A new American Psychiatric Association (APA) poll found that 45% of those surveyed believed they should discuss mental health more with their children. With this data in mind, the APA Foundation connected with Whitney J. Raglin Bignall, Ph.D., Associate Clinical Director at the Kids’ Mental Health Foundation, to discuss how students, parents, and teachers can work together to set families and school systems up for a successful and mentally healthy school year.
“Everyone in the community has a role to play in kids’ mental health when they have the knowledge, literacy base, and skills,” said Dr. Raglin Bignall, a pediatric clinical psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health Award winner. “Working at The Kids Mental Health Foundation allows me to think about how we can disseminate this information nationally, make it easy to understand, and provide it to all the important adults in kids’ lives. How can we equip teachers, administrators, coaches, caregivers, even parents’ employers with the information?”
Dr. Raglin Bignall offers three tips to parents of school-aged children to help ensure a smooth transition back to the classroom:
- Routine, routine, routine: Start the routine a couple of weeks before school starts, not on the first day of school. Children and adolescents need time to get their sleep cycles back on track, remember how to ride the bus, and learn to prepare themselves for the school day. Knowing what to expect sets students up for success and increases their confidence.
- Talk about the upcoming school year with your kids: “Caregivers must have early conversations about the child’s thoughts and feelings on returning to school,” said Dr. Raglin Bignall. “Whether they’re excited, a little nervous, or dreading it, it’s important to know where your kids are starting from – and different kids in the household may feel different ways. Talk as a family about what the kids feel would help set them up for success.” It’s easier to support kids’ mental health when you know what they’re already concerned about. See a set of Kids Mental Health Foundation resources to start conversations with kids and keep them engaged.
- Be proactive about connecting with your child’s teacher: Think about a system for communicating with your child’s teacher before school starts. Learn the new teacher’s communication style and share your systems from last school year so you don’t have to start over again -- the more information they have, the better. Take the initiative and don’t wait for the teacher to ask you about your child. Learn more about partnering with your child’s teacher for student success.
One resource that parents and caregivers can make school administrators aware of is the APA Foundation’s efficient and cost-free mental health professional development training for school faculty and staff, Notice. Talk. Act.® at School. Available to any school system in the United States, Notice. Talk. Act.® at School empowers all school employees (not just teachers) to be aware of the signs of potential mental health concerns in students, start conversations with them, and refer them to appropriate mental health resources when needed. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of respondents to the recent APA poll indicated that it is important for school staff to participate in mental health training. Adopting Notice. Talk. Act.® at School within your school community signals an investment not just in youth mental health, but in students’ holistic well-being and their success in the classroom and beyond.
Most importantly, remember you are not on your own. “We – mental health experts, parents, caregivers, educators – all play a key role in making sure mental health is a vital part of every child’s upbringing,” said Dr. Raglin Bignall. “This work cannot happen in a silo, and it’s best done when we are all using our expertise and coming together and sharing information to help kids before a crisis or concern.”