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Parents decide when and how to use the option.
Mental Health Days is a response to the mental health crisis in children, said Executive Director Jill Cook American School Counseling Association. “Even before the outbreak, we knew anxiety was rising,” she said. “And we know that the pandemic has made things worse for many students.”
Cook added: “The trick is to make sure that resting and recharging is important, as opposed to something more significant where being away from school or being away from a test or a mental health day isn’t the solution.” He said.
Mary Alwardin Rockville, MD. Clinical psychologists agree that mental health days can cause school truancy. “Life is full of stress and uncertainty, and we have to learn how to deal with that,” said Alvard, the company’s founder. Resilience beyond bordersA non-profit group dedicated to helping young people build resilience. She advises that mental health days teach the child about what is troubling him instead of retreating from it.
“If you have a sick kid who says his ear hurts, you don’t say, ‘Okay, just stay home.’ You say we should go to the pediatrician, Alvard said. Likewise, Mental Health Day shouldn’t be a day to “stay in your room and play video games.” There needs to be an action plan,” such as talking to a counselor or therapist, working on calming strategies, or countering negative thinking with other potential situations.
Unfortunately, there is no thermometer that can tell you when a child is too anxious or anxious to go to school. “It’s about watching them closely and listening to what they have to say and talking to them as much as they want,” Alvord said. Such as, “What makes you think or feel that taking a day off is important?” Ask questions. or “Anything to worry about?”
Cook says parents need to do a little due diligence to see if their child is struggling or not completing the project. “It is very important that parents and young people are able to talk to each other and have open and honest discussions where possible. And to help parents understand that it’s a way to avoid students, they may not be doing themselves any favors by taking that day off.
Nekeshia HammondIn Brandon, Fla. A clinical psychologist in middle and high school, she says, “I believe a lot of kids can say, ‘You know what, I need a break.’ And I think we should really respect that. She knows some kids try to take advantage of mental health days – but she says there have always been kids trying to game the system.
“The most important thing we need to think about is making sure kids learn how to take care of themselves,” Hammond said.
“Our mental state is directly related to what we do in school. So, we don’t want to send a child who’s really depressed or really depressed if they can’t handle it,” Alvard said. But you have to do something. He must be vigilant.”
Once you’ve identified what’s bothering your child or teen, work together on a coping plan. If a child is upset about social interactions at school, the plan may be to go along with them to see the school counselor. If they’re so anxious that they can’t sleep at night, consider letting them sleep for a few hours before taking them late — mental health days don’t have to last all day, Alvard says.
On Mental Health Day, Hammond tells your child, “It’s important to engage in calming activities, no matter what. Teaching mindfulness can be helpful because it can help them process some upsetting experiences.”
Parents can introduce their children to mental health apps to help them manage their emotions. Here are some suggestions. Three good things, Smiling mindAnd Breathe 2 Relax.
Ultimately, parents need to recognize that they need to help their child “get back from this mental health day to an academic setting,” Hammond said. For example, if a child has anxiety, a parent can work together on positive views about going back to school. Or, Alvord said, a parent might drive them to school and do some calming exercises and reunite with them in the parking lot.
A new approach to mental health
One benefit of the concept of mental health days is that it allows parents, teachers and children to talk openly about the issue.
“It’s a very important statement for states to say, ‘Hey, we care about your mental health,'” said Hammond, who hopes all states will eventually pass similar laws. Because in my experience, some schools are so focused on academics that they completely forget that we want kids to have positive mental health to work and perform academically.
She praised the current focus on perfect attendance. “If the goal of missing a day or two of school is to make sure this child is emotionally safe and emotionally healthy, it won’t have such a devastating impact educationally.”
Parents should model emotionally healthy behavior for their children, Hammond said. “It’s okay to show your kids, ‘I’m really worried, but here’s what I’m going to do about it.’ I’m trying to take care of myself.’ “
In some cases, parents can share why they are taking a mental health day themselves. For example, after losing a loved one, a parent might say that instead of going to work, they “need a day to grieve and calm down and honor this person,” Alvard said. The key, she added, is to let them know you’re doing something about it, not just going to bed.
The concept of mental health days is “a really positive thing for kids to learn about this early,” Hammond said. “This is a skill that children need not only as children, but obviously as adults. We give them the gift of teaching them to take care of themselves.”
In fact, Hammond thinks parents should consider mental health days as an option even if they don’t live in a state that has passed a law allowing them. “At the end of the day, I’m a big advocate of doing what’s best for your child.”
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