By Megan Solensky
ERIE, Pa. (Erie News Now) – Every new school year comes with its own set of emotions, making it important for parents and caregivers to prioritize having conversations with their kids to understand what they are thinking and feeling.
A survey by On Our Sleeves, a movement for children’s mental health, finds that 79% of parents with a school-age child believe their children will have challenges going back to school this fall.
Parents identified safety concerns, bullying, and ongoing pandemic-related challenges as the as the top reasons for concern.
Ariana Hoet, Clinical Director of On Our Sleeves, recommends that all caregivers have regular conversations with their children to help kids problem solve and positively deal with their emotions.
“Emotions, we feel them from day one as humans,” said Dr. Ariana Hoet. “Just like we teach them ABC’s and 123 we want to teach them emotion words.”
Dr. Hoet stresses the importance of having difficult conversations with children all year round, not just during the first few days of school.
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