After a summer of highly publicized events and ongoing fears over COVID-19, many parents may be worried a little more than usual over the start of the new school year. Ochsner mental health experts encourage parents to talk to their children about those concerns, especially since kids don’t always experience the same worries.
“Kids often don’t share the same fear and anxiety that parents may have, and they’re really going to school as normal,” said psychologist Courtney Gunn, PhD. “But keep in mind that kids pick up on their parent’s anxiety. So, if parents are worried, kids can feel anxious and go to school with those kinds of fears.”
Gunn said that parents can be reluctant to speak to their children about high-profile news stories involving violence and public safety. But if parents feel their children’s age and level of understanding are appropriate, they should be willing to talk.
“Have those conversations because your kids see what’s going on around them. They see the world. They see what’s being said on social media,” she says. They’re not blind to what’s going on, and when you avoid those conversations, it can actually make them more anxious.”
Gunn said that when children engage in productive, mature conversations about challenging topics with their own families, “they’re more likely have that same kind of conversation with their peers at school.”