Children's Mental Health Blog

Now that we are into the first weeks of back to school, you and your child may be starting to fall into the new “normal” routine. Alternatively, new experiences may be causing you to rethink your decision of whether your child is back in the physical classroom.

The days leading up to back to school are always filled with nervous excitement. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the balance between anxiety and excitement has shifted as everyone from parents to teachers to students are feeling the stresses of the unknowns this year will bring.

Now that you’ve decided whether your children will be heading back to the classroom, you may still be feeling just as much anxiety and apprehension as before. They are going to school (or learning virtually), and the weeks of weighing your options is behind you. So why do you still feel uncertain?

Going back to school in September can be anxiety-provoking for children and youth. Add in the uncertainty of the coming school year this September with the COVID-19 pandemic, and many youth, teachers and parents alike may be experiencing heightened levels of anxiety.

It’s summer vacation. Even in normal years this may bring anxiety waves right along with the heat waves for parents of school-aged children. How can I keep my kids entertained for two months??

During the Covid-19 pandemic, 1 in 10 women are very concerned about family violence. The research on this topic is unfortunately all too clear: family violence escalates during a pandemic. And, just as individual, collective actions were critical to flatten the Covid-19 curve, simple, collective action is needed to help flatten the family violence curve.

Equity by some has been described as the next step past equality, because not everyone needs to be treated the same way to become equal. Equity is about fairness and making sure everyone has what they need to succeed, even if what they need is different than what others may need.

After you have let your teen know that you hear them, their feelings matter, and you want to understand, you can move on to offer help with problem solving. Identify what the root of the problem is based on what your teen is saying. Help problem solve using a line of questioning that encourages the teen to use their rational brain.

Some people are enjoying this free time and checking things off their to-do lists. But many who have struggled with their mental health for years, or even those who are just discovering these struggles now, are wracked with guilt over how they “should” be spending this time.

This series will explore three emotion regulation tips that you might use to help your teen when they are emotional. The second tip, is validation.