Students' Mental Health: Preparing for the first day of school
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