Local mental health professionals are encouraging parents to check in with their kids before the big day to ensure their mental health needs are being met.
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00:00 Good evening, everyone. Thanks for joining us for 23 ABC News at five. I'm
00:03 Mark Blaine. We begin with the new school year being right around the
00:07 corner. While a fresh start might be exciting for some students, it can
00:10 oftentimes be challenging for others. 23 ABCS Brianna Polk sat down with the
00:15 mental health professional to learn how parents can play a role in their child's
00:19 transition back into the classroom. The first day of school brings an array of
00:24 emotions, eagerness and excitement and for some nervousness and anxiety. And
00:29 that is why local mental health professionals are encouraging parents to
00:33 check in with their kids before the big day to ensure their mental health needs
00:37 are being met. New school year is a new beginning. It's a new start, but
00:41 sometimes our kids walk into these experiences with the baggage they've
00:46 had of what school's been like for them
00:50 previously. And that's a lot. That's a lot to carry. Stacy Kuwahara, director
00:55 of current behavioral health and recovery services, says it's important
00:59 for parents to create what she calls a safe space for their Children to talk
01:03 about any concerns they may have prior to heading back into the classroom. She
01:08 has oftentimes active listening and just being present holds a significant
01:12 impact more than one may think. It's validating what we're thinking, what
01:17 we're feeling and how we behave in the world. And when we create space to talk
01:23 about it, you're recognizing it. You're letting somebody know that this is okay.
01:28 This is where you're at. How can I help you? You're not alone. But the support
01:33 doesn't stop at home. Cody Stone is a varsity assistant football coach and a
01:37 math teacher at Bakersfield High School and says sometimes simply checking in
01:41 with the student makes all the difference and letting them know that
01:45 they too have a listening ear on campus as well. It's to make sure that you
01:49 relate to your students outside of curriculum and content because you know,
01:53 at Bakersfield High, we have 57 59 minute periods. You want to make sure
01:58 that your students really care about. And I think that's one of the most
02:02 important things is that students know, hey, you know, Mr Stone, sir, Mrs. So
02:06 and so they care about me more than my letter grade. Kuwahara says, in
02:10 addition to having open communication with your child, another important
02:14 thing parents can do is to create a morning and evening routine days or
02:18 weeks prior to the start of the school year so that students have an easier
02:21 time adjusting to their new schedules coming out of the summer months. New
02:25 beginnings are hard and just recognize it for what it is. It's a new start and
02:31 I think encouraging our kids to see the opportunity for a fresh start can be
02:38 really powerful. Kuwahara says some students may deal with stress, anxiety,
02:42 depression and in some cases eating disorders. Coming up tonight at six
02:46 will share more details about what science Kuwahara says parents should be
02:50 on the lookout for in Bakersfield. I'm Brianna Polk 23 bc News connecting you