Supporting Our Children's Mental Health: Strategies & Resources

Following our two “Supporting our Children’s Mental Health” programs (Feb. 20 & 24), we compiled the presentation materials and resource links as well as suggestions and ideas parents can draw on to support their children’s mental health and well-being.  

Please remember that you don’t have to do ALL the things! There is no one right way to do this. Keep in mind that we need to take care of our own mental health needs in order to meet our children’s needs. If you are feeling overwhelmed, or if nothing seems to work, remember there is support available. See “Mental Health Services Resource Information” handout.) There is also support available to meet other needs that may be contributing to personal or household stress – rent, food, internet access, etc. Call the PUSD hotline (626-396-3680) or check the Resource Guide which can be found at pusd.us/Page/8355.

Presentation Materials

Elementary Program (2/20) Video of Program: https://youtu.be/-dpmVZX8OZ0
Slide Presentation (English) | Presentación (Español)

Secondary Program (2/24) Video of Program: https://youtu.be/UzrN2rXBr0I
Slide Presentation

Resource Links

Mental Health Services & Resources - Includes flowchart (where to get help) and list of mental health agencies serving PUSD schools

Young and Healthy (626) 795-5166 (https://yhpasadena.org/) - Pasadena-based non-profit organization that connects underserved children with free medical, dental and mental healthcare through volunteer doctors; helps families with insurance enrollment and navigation; and provides referrals to local services. Young & Healthy can help families with private insurance to navigate that insurance and get connected to needed resources. Y&H ‘s Mobile Dental Clinic (for students and parents) is March 11-19 – call 795-5166 for more information. Check out Y&H Mindful Mondays Videos (presented by one of our speakers, Rebecca Bokoch!): https://www.facebook.com/YHPasadena/videos/1777943355689943/

“Me Time” Mindful Mondays: D'Veal Family and Youth Services offers a 15-minute "Me Time” zoom session each Monday afternoon. Zoom room opens at 3 PM, sessions starts promptly at 3:10 PM. Savor a moment of peace and calmness as you gear up for your work week. Click on the link to join: https://zoom.us/j/92152244259?pwd=cGcxMnNGRTRubTRFamlKR2xJQ1V4Zz09

Community-based Agencies that usually have a small fee for services:

  • Pasadena Mental Health Center (626) 798-0907

  • Rose City Counseling Center (626) 793-8609

  • Fuller Psychological and Family Services (626) 584-5555

  • Westminster Center - affordable counseling (626) 798-0915

"Supporting Families During COVID-19” | Child Mind Institute
https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/ The Child Mind Institute is an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders.

"COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Guide” City of Pasadena Public Health Department https://www.cityofpasadena.net/public-health/covid-19-mental-health/#help-children-youth-families

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - https://nami.org - If you have questions or concerns about whether your child or another family member might be dealing with a mental illness, NAMI is a great resource.

Strategies and Suggestions
These suggestions came from our Saturday workshop for parents of younger children. The first set addresses our children’s needs during distance learning/quarantine. The second set focuses on strategies to help prepare children for when we can go back to school.

Meeting our Children’s Needs during Distance Learning

Here are some suggestions for things we can do to help our children. Some of these activities meet several needs! 

1.     To feel safe…

  • Model safe practices (wearing masks, washing hands) so that children don’t worry about you getting sick

  • Limit/monitor children’s access to news and conversations about problems in the world so that children are not overwhelmed

  • Make a safe space for children’s emotions- listen, reflect back, don’t make it about you, don’t overreact, share own feelings from when a child, share things other families are doing to stay healthy, calm, happy

2.     To feel in control…

  • Have a dedicated space for children to do their school work; own school supplies

  • Give kids choices you can live with whenever possible- broccoli or peas, blue or red socks, walk around the block or go for a bike ride?

  • Teach them to make simple meals, have a snack drawer they can serve themselves

3.     To have fun things to look forward to…

  • Friday movie nights, Taco Tuesday, drive through birthday parties

  • Sunday family outdoor time

  • Free time after schoolwork is done to hang out virtually with friends

4.     To stay socially connected…

  • Talking to grandma, cousins on Zoom

  • Distanced playdate at the park

5.     To get enough exercise…

  • Walks around the neighborhood

  • Hiking, dance party, TikTok videos, online kick-boxing or other exercise classes

Parents Shared:

This has been going on for a really long time…

  • With a 4.5 and a 6.5 year old, we've often felt like we're running a Lido deck on a cruise ship!

  • At the beginning (last March and April) we did all kinds of fun family activities – a backyard Olympics, scavenger hunts – but with both of us (parents) working full-time, we just couldn’t keep it up.

  • Getting a dog met a lot of our family members’ needs: routines, exercise, someone to play or cuddle with who is never too busy and is never online.

Fun family activities

  • Family does “Fun Friday Nights” - we dance, sing, do art. We got board games.

  • We got a microphone for Christmas and sing along to songs we all know :)

  • Having regular times when we all turn off the electronics (for the kids after school or for the whole family at other designated times) and engage with each other

  • Getting outside: hiking, watering the plants outside, riding bikes, taking the dog for a walk

  • Cooking and eating together: baking (letting kids pick something special to make), having lunch together.

Being intentional about how we connect with each other

  • We share meals together and have meaningful conversation of what goes on around us while we are home.

  • Most nights at dinner, we go around and each of us say three things we're grateful for. This helps our “gut-check” with the kiddos.

  • Family meetings, as they teach communication and create a support system.

  • Reading with your children

Preparing Children for Going (Back) to School
In many ways, preparing our children for the reopening of schools is similar to the way we get them ready for back to school – or, in the case of kindergarteners, their first day of school – at the end of a normal summer. Basic tips include:

  • Start a daily routine, including bedtime and morning routines that will get everyone dressed, fed, and out the door on time

  • Practice the route to school, whether on foot or in a car

  • Find the backpacks and the lunchbox

  • Remember that students will be taking their Chromebooks back and forth to school!

  • Listen to what your children are thinking and feeling about it.

  • MOST IMPORTANT: your attitude as parent/guardian will set the tone for how your child feels about going to school! Focus on the positive – you will see/make new friends!

Some aspects of our preparation are going to be different, of course, so it is important to talk about what school will look like when they get there: including mask-wearing, lots of hand-washing, and physical distancing. PUSD put a video together to show what return to school will look like: https://youtu.be/FmCrGqWle7I, and will be putting out a new video and virtual orientations for students and parents/guardians prior to return to campuses.

Once the student return date is determined, families will have two weeks to prepare:

2 weeks before students return:

  • There will be three days of asynchronous (remote) instruction for children while teachers prepare their classrooms for social distancing requirements.

1 week before students return:

  • Teachers will be teaching from their classrooms, getting oriented to campus safety procedures and using new equipment (set up to accommodate in-person and remote teaching at the same time), while students continue learning from home.

  • Orientation sessions will be provided (virtually) to students and parents/guardians to prepare them for return to in-person instruction.

 Questions that came in pre-program:

How do we know when to push our kids to focus/keep trying with school, and when to take a break? – For anyone, but particularly for elementary age children, remember that mental health and well-being comes first. Everyone is going to come back with some learning gaps, and the school district is preparing for helping all children pick up whatever they missed during distance learning. That said, “taking a break” (to breathe, to run around outside, to snuggle with the dog) is different than just disconnecting completely. If your child is not wanting to participate at all, it may be time to touch base with the teacher, and – if it continues for more than a week or seems to be getting worse – to seek mental health support.

I feel like my daughter is suffering from a little depression and I don't know what to do. Who do we ask if we have concerns about our children’s mental health? – You can call the Mental Health agency that serves your school site (see list). You can also contact your school principal, as they are familiar with the resources available to their families. If you have trouble connecting, you can contact Lara Choulakian at PUSD: choulakian.lara@pusd.us, or mentalhealth@pusd.us.

How can I deal with my child's hopelessness and unhappiness with current situation? Connect with your child. Use empathy to really make a connection with what they are feeling. Give them purpose/ something to look forward to. Having something to look forward to at the end of the day or the end of the week is helpful for them to have short goals. Additionally, creating a vision board or a "Happy Board" is nice for children to have positive reminders and help with challenging a negative mindset.

How can I help my child cope with isolation (only child so no siblings to interact with)?  Try to set up zoom play dates if possible. Also signing up for fun classes such as lego building or things your child enjoys doing can be helpful. When your child doesn't really have anyone to interact with we can help by being more present with them and getting outside if possible to get out of home. 

Is isolation “normal” right now? My 6 yr old is fearful of leaving the house to do anything! To a certain extent, isolation is normal because of everything going on. However, if it gets to the point where the child refuses to go outside or leave the home, it would be best to reach out and ask for help. Talk to your child about what it is that they are scared of and how you can help. It could be a fear of getting sick but it is a good opportunity to talk about making healthy hygiene choices.

nancy duffordmental health, Program notes, children, teens, tweens