Preparing To Go Back to School: Parents Can Start Helping Kids Prepare Now

As states and districts unveil their plans for children going back to school, we’re here to help you with facts and reliable information.

Alicia Nieves is looking at what parents can do right now to help their kids prepare for school again.

MORE AND MORE SCHOOL DISTRICTSARE LAYING OUT PLANS FOR THE NEWSCHOOLYEAR... BUT THERE ARE THINGSPARENTS CAN BE DOING RIGHTNOW... TO HELP THEIR KIDSPREPARE.ALICIA NIEVES HAS THE DETAILS.I'M ALICIA NIEVES IN NEW YORK.FOR PARENTS PREPARING TO STARTTHIS SCHOOL YEAR WITH THEIRCHILDREN AT HOME, REMOTELEARNING...THERE ARE STILLCONCERNS... ESPECIALLY WITHTHEIR CHILDRENMENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLYADAPTING TO ANOTHER SEMESTERDISTANT, AWAY FROM THEIRSCHOOLMATESAND TEACHERS."I AM A PARENT MYSELF SO I CANRELATE TO THE ANXIETY."INADDITION TO BEING A PARENT,JANINEDOMINGUES IS A CLINICALPSYCHOLOGIST WITHTHE CHILD MINDINSTITUTE... AND KNOWS FROM APSYCHOLOGIST'SPERSPECTIVE...PARENTS HAVE VERYGOOD REASON TO BE CONCERNED."FOR CHILDREN OR ADOLESCENTS WHOWERE ALREADY PRONE TO ANXIETY ORSOCIAL ANXIETY ORDEPRESSION, CERTAINLY THIS TIMEAS YOU ARE MORE ISOLATED ANDCAN'T INTERACT WITH OTHERS, ITCAN HEIGHTEN ANXIETY ANDDEPRESSION SYMPTOMS.""WHAT ARE THE TOP WARNING SIGNSTHAT PARENTS SHOULD LOOK FOR TORECOGNIZE IF THE ISOLATION ANDSOCIAL DISTANCING IS GETTING TOTHEIR CHILD?""FURTHER ISOLATION IN THEIRROOM, NOT GETTING OUT OF BED,NOT ENGAGING IN ACTIVITY THATTHEYNORMALLY WOULD'VE ENGAGED IN,AND HONESTLY IF THEY AREEXPRESSING SADNESS EVERYDAY ANDININTENSE LEVELS OF THAT.""IF A PARENT SEES SOME OF THOSEWARNING SIGNS WHAT ARE SOME OFTHE THINGS THEY CAN DO TO HELPTHEIR CHILD COPE?""THE NUMBER ONE STEP IS REACHINGOUT FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.WHETHER IT IS REACHING OUT TO APREVIOUS PSYCHOLOGIST ORTHERAPIST THAT YOU WORKED WITHOR A NEWPSYCHOLOGIST."ORGANIZATIONS LIKE CHILD MIND PROVIDETELEHEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDRENSTRUGGLING MENTALLY ANDEMOTIONALLY RIGHT NOW AND THEYEVEN PROVIDE FINANCIALASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIESCONCERNEDABOUT AFFORDING THIS.

BEFORE ITGETS TO THE POINT WHERE A CHILDMAY NEED HELP, DOMINGUES SAYSTHERE ARE STEPS PARENTS CAN TAKENOW TO HELP THEIR CHILD ADJUSTBETTER TO THIS START OFTHE SCHOOL YEAR AT HOME."REALLY TALKING ABOUT ITHONESTLY SO...HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND THATTHERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER TIMEWHERE WE ARE DOING THIS AT HOME.WHAT WERE YOUR CONCERNS LASTTIME WHAT WORKED WELL, WHATDIDN'T, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUAREGOING TO BE FEELING?"KIDS ARE RESILIENT AND WITH THEPROPER GUIDANCE, PSYCHOLOGISTSBELIEVE THEY CAN ADAPT TOWHATEVER SCHOOLING SITUATIONTHEY'LL BE IN THIS YEAR