Back to school means different things for students and parents. While the adults may be glad to get their kids out of the house after a long, hot summer, students may be anxious about starting a new grade, or school or meeting new classmates and teachers.
Annika Reynolds, a sixth-grade student in the Canyons School District, is excited and optimistic about what’s ahead. She has a bubbly personality and describes herself as a social person.
Still, she’s “a little worried.”
Not only is Reynolds starting middle school this year, but she’s also going to a different school than her friends. She switched to accommodate her gymnastics schedule.
“I don’t really know how it’s gonna be, but my new school said [there’s] gonna be a lot of fun things happening. So I’m excited to make new friends and have those fun experiences.”
To help her prepare, Reynolds attended the Black Physicians of Utah’s Back-to-School Mental Health Day on Aug. 17 in Salt Lake City. A few dozen kids and parents showed up for the discussions and presentations led by health professionals. A big focus was on social media usage — highlighting the potential risks for kids and how families should navigate it.
Clinical psychologist Kimberly Applewhite, a member of the mental wellness alliance of the Black Physicians of Utah, said back to school can be a challenging time for kids. Students had the summer to relax and engage in fun activities, but now they don’t have as much unstructured time.
Applewhite’s advice for parents and caregivers is to help their kids prepare ahead of time, like having them plan a break during their school day.
“When will be a good time to check in with a counselor or a friend?” Applewhite said.
Parents can also have their kids practice asking for help and navigating social situations. She said kids can do this in their heads. If kids imagine those situations going well, Applewhite said it “really helps counterbalance the anxiety that comes because a lot of times kids just imagine the worst, and they do that over and over. And that is what can lead to things not going as well as we would like.”
Applewhite also recommended getting kids back into a routine and planning meaningful family time and activities during the school year.
Clinical social worker Stormey Nielsen, who also works with the Black Physicians of Utah, talked with some of the students about mindfulness and managing anxiety.
“I think that the biggest takeaway out of my group was recognizing how much stress these kids are feeling in regard to their parents' stress. How aware they are of like, ‘my parents seem stressed out about these things and I’m hyper-aware of it, so it’s stressing me out.’”
Nielsen said one 11-year-old brought up inflation.
“So not only are they dealing with things at home, but at school as well and then trying to balance all that,” she said.
A lot of the students Nielsen spoke with said they tend to isolate and try to manage things on their own. Nielsen’s first piece of advice to the kids was to talk with an adult they trust.
As for parents, she said they should look out for any changes in their child's behavior as a sign that something might be wrong. She also recommended they be aware of what their kids see on social media.
Reynolds learned breathing exercises at the event and plans to use them when she feels anxious. Her advice to the other students is just to try your best.
“As long as you're trying your best, you're going to be just fine. Like, if you don't get the grade that you want, you're going to be just fine because you're trying your best. Your parents are always going to support you, and if they don't, there's always other people that will support you and care for you.”
