The preparation for the school's new term can be a daunting task for parents who feel pressure to ensure that their child has the necessary clothing and uniforms.
For a child who is struggling to speak and return to school following the summer break could be a lot more difficult.
Many students in school are overwhelmed with fear of the upcoming school year that is intense enough that, if unresolved, it could result in suicide among children.
What's popular on social media could be a great starting point to discovering what is important to young people. While discussing your mental well-being isn't nearly as common nowadays as it was in the past but there's still an extensive way to go.
TikTok and Twitter have teens and pre-teens discussing the "back to school necklace'. While initially, parents may dismiss it as a necessity, it has a deeper significance that should not be overlooked since discussing it could end up saving the life of a child.
What exactly is the "back-to-school necklace What is the 'back-to-school necklace'?
Urban Dictionary - a website that focuses on defining new slang terms. It describes, "A back-to-school necklace is a different name for the noose. This is because of the overwhelming sadness you feel after school begins returning. '
One Twitter user shared the photo with a caption that reads"Currently working on my back-to-school necklace! '
For some kids who are under pressure due to schoolwork, their friends, or their family life is usually too much to deal with.
About seven percent of UK youngsters have tried to commit suicide before the age of 17 according to an article in The British Journal of Psychiatrystatistics published by The Guardian back in February of this year.
It also pointed out that more than one in four people has suffered self-harm in the last year. Experts believe the numbers could increase due to the outbreak.
Dr. Malie Coyne, a Clinical psychologist and the author of 'Love In out, Love in out A loving approach to parenting your child who is anxious Dr. Malie Coyne was shocked to find out about this trend.
"The trend of the 'back-to-school necklace' surprised me since I have a son who is nearly eight and a nearly 10-year-old daughter, but I believe it's crucial as a parent to be able to speak the ability to talk about feelings in the home, where feelings are talked about and validated. However, parents must be encouraging their children to discuss their feelings in order in all aspects - not just returning to school.'
Then, she said, 'If you're concerned about the back-to-school necklace trend, you can mention 'I've seen this trend in the newspaper Have you ever heard of it?' But you shouldn't discuss the specific issue unless you're worried for your children. If you're concerned with your child, speaking to them about it won't lead to suicide.'
However, Dr. Coyne explained the importance of employing the correct method. She explained, "When your child tells you about something rather than gloss over it or to distract away from it, really validate their feeling and say 'that sounds like it was really difficult for you today.'"
She also explained how to approach them when talking concerning their psychological health issues if they're not forthcoming about their thoughts, but you've observed warning indicators. "If you feel that they might be anxious about going back to school or depressed or low, you can say to your child 'I've noticed that you've been a little bit different lately or that you've been spending more time in your room. Tell them what you've noticed, rather than in an accusatory way 'you've been doing this."
She also pointed out that parents often sub-parent over the age of 10 and over-parent children under 10, which is why it is necessary to adopt a different strategy for all ages. The doctor. Coyne explained, "When teens tell us to "Go away, it doesn't necessarily mean they are asking to be left alone. They may have troubles and we must assure them that we are always there to help them and be sure to check in with their progress regularly. You can say "You'd prefer to be on your own for a while, that's fine but I'll check in later because you're probably finding it difficult today" and do check-in. Keep checking in. They need you now as much as they ever did, maybe even more. Teens tend to be better at side-to-side communication on walks or in the car, and brief chats rather than lengthy ones."
If your child has a fear of school in the same way as the "back-to-school necklace" means, she will advise parents "unpack" what it is that your child is afraid of about school.
If you're telling them that I don't want to go back to school, they're clearly having an extremely black-and-white mental picture. You're trying to understand the issue that is causing them to be upset and the most important thing is to concentrate on calming the kids down and maintaining your cool. Anxiety can be contagious. If you're not calm, then your child will not be able to.'
For parents who are concerned that there's any pattern to your child's absences and absences from school, Doctor. Coyne explains how to manage the issue. "Obviously when they're sick, you'll take your child to the GP. However, I would not let your child play with the TV or on screens all day long if they're not at school, because then there's no need for them to attend school. If they're sick, they're sick and will remain in bed for the majority time.
You could at times, with permission from the child check in with your children's peers, parents as well as the school to check how they're getting along according to her.
Finding out the root of their behavior is essential to creating positive school environments and, as Professor. Coyne warned, "You don't want a child to spend a long time out of school because that is going to be harder for them to go back."
How do you know whether a child is struggling with mental health issues?
Dr. Coyne listed her key indicators that indicate that children are being silent:
- Any kind of change in the way children communicate is it that they are avoiding social interactions? Are they being more in their rooms, than they did previously?
- Do they wish to be by themselves all the time?
- Are they in front of screens a lot?
- Mood fluctuates.
- Drinking alcohol or using the use of drugs or alcohol.
- The feeling of hopelessness.
- They aren't taking part in the things they were once.
- Find it difficult to enjoy life.
- Are there sleeping and eating routines at the same time?
- They could be engaging in risky behavior or donating their possessions or saying, 'I'm not going to remain around for too long.
- You could also be looking for self-harm signs.
- Use your intuition to guide you.
Even children are shocked by the meaning. One user uploaded a trend that asked others to record themselves prior to and after searching for the phrase 'back to school necklace' and his response is shown in the video that follows...
If your child is a member of a family or just friends, Dr. Coyne made it clear that it is crucial for children to be aware of each other.
She said, "It's really important to make sure that children and siblings take care of one another. That way you're trying to encourage compassion and kindness. When you observe someone being kind to them, you could comment on 'it was really nice to help your sister' and '....gave her a hugs' instead of concentrating on them fighting.
And she implements her own advice in action. "I'm even saying to them now, 'when you go out into town with your friends I want you to look out for each other and I want you to look out for your friends too - and don't let them do home alone. Make sure that you're with them and looking out for each other because it's really important."
