Dealing with the back-to-school blues.
The Back-to-School Blues is very real according to Mary Muscari, associate professor at Binghamton University, State University of New York, and author of Not My Kid: 21 Steps for Raising a Nonviolent Child and Let Kids be Kids: Rescuing Childhood. Children deal with a loss of freedom as their summer vacation comes to an end. Moms deal with empty-nest syndrome.
I can identify. I’ve already been feeling sad that our summer vacation is almost over. To me, the end of summer vacation means one more school year is about to begin. . . my children are one year closer to adulthood. . . one year closer to a time when we won’t be enjoying the entire summer together.
School program helps kids exposed to violence.
[...]A school-based mental health program for children exposed to armed political conflict in Indonesia reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and “helped maintain hope,” according to a study in a theme issue on violence and human rights in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a violent or otherwise terrifying event, often one that is life-threatening to the individual or their close associates. Flashbacks and recurrent dreams about the event are common symptoms.
The school-based program described by Wietse A. Tol, of HealthNet TPO in Amsterdam, and colleagues involved 15 sessions over 5 weeks that included “trauma-processing activities, cooperative play, and creative expressive elements, implemented by locally trained (professional assistants).” [...]
I’m trying to get my children back into a regular sleep schedule, but I’m failing pretty miserably at that. I have to admit, though, I’m not trying terribly hard. Let them have the luxury of sleeping in for a few more mornings. Besides, maybe I’ll have more luck next week. Muscari contends that making sure your children get adequate sleep is vital. Says Muscari, “No matter the season, school-age kids and teens need an average of nine hours of sleep per night. Summer activities wreak havoc on sleep patterns. Sleep problems cause crankiness, learning difficulties and accidents, and can even make some children more prone to depression. Better sleep means happier children. If you’ve indulged them with later bedtimes, balanced with later wake-ups, start getting back to a regular schedule to avoid disrupting sleep patterns before school starts. That way you can ease them back into their school-time sleep schedule, particularly if you start at least a week before school opens. Young children have an easier time transitioning their sleep back to fall, but once puberty strikes, the effortlessness of transition comes to an abrupt halt. Pubertal changes in the sleep hormone melatonin encourage later sleep and wake up times by shifting the circadian rhythm. That’s why, according to the National Sleep Foundation, it’s tough to get your teen up in the morning, even after a full night’s sleep. To help your children get more zzz’s make sure they avoid bright light at night (including computers and TVs), and brighten their morning wake-up with plenty of sunlight.”
Children can struggle with depression, too.
[...]QUESTION: Our school psychologist said she thinks our son is suffering from childhood depression. My goodness! The kid is only nine years old. Is it reasonable that this could be his problem?
DR. DOBSON: We used to believe that depression was exclusively an adult problem, but that understanding is changing. Now we’re seeing signs of serious despondency in children as young as five years old.
Symptoms of depression in an elementary school child may include general lethargy, a lack of interest in things that used to excite him or her, sleep disturbances, chewed finger nails, loss of appetite, and violent emotional outbursts. Other common reactions are stomach complaints and low tolerance to frustration of any kind.
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Here are some of Muscari’s other tips:
Play!
Childhood is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, so let your kids be kids. Let them get dirty sliding into home plate, digging in the garden, or building castles in the sand. Computer game play is okay during the dwindling days of summer, but keep it to a minimum, even though there’s no homework. Instead, get them out of the house. Active play fights obesity, stimulates thinking, aids in getting a good night’s sleep, and is just plain fun. Children need to engage in play with their friends to improve their relational and problem-solving skills, and summer provides them with the opportunity to catch-up on the play they may have missed during the school year, especially since many schools have drastically decreased recess time or eliminated it all together.
Teenage Depression?
[...]One or more of these signs can easily indicate that the teenager may be suffering from depression. Seeing one or two of these signs may not necessarily mean that the teenager is depressed, but if a parent suspects that depression might be possible they should talk to their teenage son or daughter about it. Sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to have the child talk with an online counselor. Even if they are not depressed, it could help to talk to someone about some of the stresses they are feeling from school, home and work, if they work after school. If they are depressed, then getting the teenager to speak with a counselor sooner than later will help the individual immensely before any real damage is caused by their developing depression.
Online counseling is available to anyone who is looking for suggestions, advice or just someone to talk to. Part of the reason why teenagers can find it difficult to consult a counselor is the fear that others will find out and call them crazy. Online therapy offers a teenager the chance to communicate with an online therapist without the worry that other people at school will find out what they are doing. They can also feel more comfortable with communication with a counselor online because they feel it is a more secure and confidential way to get the help they need for their depression. Online counseling is also extremely convenient and doesn’t require a parent to take their kid to a counselor’s office[...]
Spend time together.
You most likely did not have the luxury of extended summer vacations, but you can still make the best of it by making special time for your kids. Take day trips, go the movies, walk around the neighborhood, take a bike tour, or simply relax at home together. Make time for family dinners - just keep them simple so you can spend more time with the family and less time in the kitchen. Order healthy take-out, or better yet, make it a true family meal by having everyone participate in the planning, cooking and clean up, as well as the eating. You’ll get so good at it that you’ll be able to rev up family mealtime all year round.
Plan ahead for your fall dates with your kids, your partner, your friends and yourself.
Get in the mood by decorating the house with Autumn’s beauty, and pick some days for basking in cider and hot apple pie, bouncing on a hayride, prowling through a pumpkin patch, or just snuggling under a blanket outside on a crisp fall eve talking about the day’s events. Fall is a magnificent season. Use its beauty to banish the blues and welcome in all that fall has to offer.
For more info:
Mary Muscari
Associate Professor
Decker School of Nursing
Binghamton University,
State University of New York
mmuscari@binghamton.edu
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