GREENSBORO, N.C. — Many Triad area children went back to school recently.
Kids and parents got day one behind them, they conquered the back-to-school checklist – but now what?
We’re talking all things back to school with Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Lynn Klett with Cone Health Piedmont Pediatrics and Psychologist Dr. Jenna Mendelson with Cone Heath LeBauer Behavioral Medicine to answer your questions - all focused on having a healthy school year.
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Should parents be concerned if their child doesn’t want to talk about their day?
"It's really about creating opportunities for conversation based on our child's communication preferences. So if you have a child who really needs your undivided attention to open up, then you wanna make sure that you're giving them that. on the flip side, There are also kids who really don't want your undivided attention. They might wanna be doing something and that's when they feel most comfortable opening up. And so for those kids, you might get a coloring book and have it ready to go or a LEGO set that you can work on together so that the opportunity is there for them to communicate in a way that they feel comfortable with."
What impact could skipping breakfast have on kids?
"Skipping breakfast could definitely have a negative impact on the day. If you as an adult, you can't focus if you're hungry, the same goes for kids. Only kids can always verbalize. 'Oh, my gosh, I'm hungry.'"
"There's lots of easy ways to find quick and easy breakfast. I'm a huge fan of the protein shakes that are designed for kids. On the weekend we make a whole bunch of breakfast burritos or breakfast sandwiches. So all you have to do is microwave it in the morning. Breakfast is ready. They've got a good balanced meal and they're ready to go."
What can parents do to help their child with feelings of anxiety?
"Reminding your kids that is normal. A manageable amount of stress actually helps with performance [...]. You don't want it to become unmanageable. Then that's the key. So normalizing the anxiety for your kids and then helping them think about how they might be able to manage it."
"Sometimes that manifests in their body as well. Right. The anxiety can cause the tummy aches or the headaches or things like that. I talk a lot with my patients about, you know, does it stop when you get home from school? Does it start before you go to school in the morning? If it does, it's more likely to be that anxiety related versus being sick."
What advice do you have to cope with the overwhelmingly busy schedule of activities and never-ending to-do list during the school year?
"Extracurricular activities are fantastic in a lot of ways. They're a really nice way to incorporate stress-relieving activities into your day-to-day routine for your kids. They are a great way to get regular physical activity and social connection and even a creative outlet. But that being said, there are some factors you're going to want away when you're thinking about what extracurriculars are the right ones for your kids, and that would be making sure they have some time to really wind down before bed. I don't mean like running home, take a shower, do your homework in bed. I mean, an hour at least where they're really relaxing and ideally not on screens."
Klett and Mendelson answer these questions and more in the videos above.