How to help your kids with back to school anxiety

As students gear up to head back to school, anxiety can sometimes creep up as well, especially for kids transitioning to a new school or grade.

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That’s where Katrina Taylor comes in, she is Duval County Public Schools’ director of school behavioral health.

“School behavioral health is mental health,” she explained.

Taylor said mental health has become a larger issue in previous years from every one in five students dealing with concerns before the pandemic, to now every one in four students.

“When we came back — that following school year, the floodgates had fallen over.”

Taylor added that students are also more vocal about how they’re feeling. But as some students head back to school, some are starting for the first time like in kindergarten or going to a new school with different friends and staff. That can create an environment for anxiety.

Taylor said it’s normal for kids to feel anxious, but there are times when it can become a problem.

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“When it starts to impact their activities of daily living — that’s when we want to provide them with the support they need,” she said.

Taylor said the first red flag parents should watch out for is if their child seems withdrawn. For example, they don’t want to hang out with friends or family. She recommended keeping an open line of communication and having a conversation. She said don’t just ask if they’re okay, but more importantly ask, “how they’re feeling”.

“That opens up the dialogue for them to begin that conversation about how they’re really feeling.”

DCPS recommended reaching out to a student’s counselor if the problem becomes beyond the scope of something parents can handle. Each school has its own guidance counselor.

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