How to Prep Kids' Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Over the Summer

The one thing that has taught many parents of school-age children during the pandemic is that students thrive academically when their social and emotional needs are met.

Now that summer vacation is approaching; we spoke with Dr. Andrew Kahn of Understood to find out how parents can help prepare their kids for the next academic year.

1. It seems that mental health has been the big topic at almost every school board election this year. However, there are not enough district-wide programs or opportunities to help K-12 as a whole. In your experience, have you seen initiatives that have worked on a district-wide level?

Over the past two decades, I’ve observed a lot of patchwork efforts and curriculum-driven initiatives to help kids build social and self-care skills without notable long-term benefits. While a variety of programming is fundamentally sound and helpful for assisting kids in developing social, emotional, self-care, and many life skills, they are often unnecessarily caught in the middle of political controversy.

The truth of the matter is that children need to feel safe, calm, and willing to take risks in school to reach their full potential. And to do that, they need to develop skills to manage frustrations, improve social/communication skills, and address their current mental health, in addition to academics. It’s critical for people to understand that social and emotional skills aren’t things that are taught instead of or in place of the curriculum, but rather they are used to facilitate improved learning and a growth mindset for students of all ages, often positively impacting a student’s academic development.

For kids with LTDs (learning and thinking differences), these skills are even more critical. Neurodivergent children are more likely to struggle with mental health challenges, particularly as they have experienced interrupted learning and limited support to manage their differences over the past couple of years. Understanding how to manage emotions is critical to their learning in school, at work, and beyond.

One NYC school that is doing a fantastic job of integrating these methods is the Brooklyn Lab School. They integrate skills for life, coping, and emotional well-being as part of their larger high-demand curriculum. Schools and districts that make these skills a core part of their mission, rather than just an added layer on top of academic achievement, are the schools and districts that will more holistically set their students up for success in school and in their adult lives.

2. Since summer vacation is almost upon us, what recommendations or tips do you have for parents who want to prepare their kids for the next school year? What about children with learning and thinking differences?

Read Dr. Kahn's response and more on Emperial Samaritan (a site from Patch Labs).