Children and adolescents mostly perceive schools as safe places, so learning about school shootings can trigger anxiety.  Although active shooter drills are meant to prepare children for such incidents, participating in them can be extremely stressful. The good news is that there are ways that parents and caregivers can help children cope with the trauma of gun violence. 

Back to school can be an exciting, yet nerve-wracking time for parents and teens.  Some children and their families will thrive with the increased structure and routine of the academic year relative to the summer.  Others will struggle with potential academic, extracurricular and social stressors.

Being concerned about your teen’s mental health can be a terrifying and lonely experience for any parent.  It’s often hard to distinguish normal teenage behavior from something more concerning, and to know when you just need to be supportive and patient, versus when you need to get outside help. 

Parents often are not familiar with this level of care, so it’s important to communicate that getting intensive, coordinated, interdisciplinary support early can often prevent crisis visits to the ED or avoidable inpatient stays

As a family therapist, I often find myself navigating homework battles between children and families. Parents have been asked to become more and more involved in their children’s homework and school life, but is this actually helpful for your teen? Read this blog to navigate homework and school relationships between teens, parents and families.

Read our latest Bradley REACH Interview with Diane McLean, MD