SCIENCE NEWSLETTER FOR PRESCHOOL PARENTS HOW TO

'Parents may want to talk with their child periodically about how safe they feel at school and what they've heard about violent incidents,' Woolford said.

Parents may struggle with how to manage their own stress and anxiety while they try to reassure their child. She adds that changes to the school environment, such as metal detectors, armed guards and locked doors, as well as active shooter drills may remind children and parents about the potential for school violence. Parents also shared a high level of concern about school violence, which may reflect direct experience with school shootings or fights as well as media coverage about such events, Woolford says. 'The mismatch between the growing number of youth with mental health concerns and the limited access to mental health services has serious implications for children's well-being,' Woolford said. The majority of parents view depression, suicide, stress, anxiety, and related topics like bullying as big problems.Īnd nearly half of parents expressed concern with a lack of mental health services. The poll findings, which are based on 2,099 responses collected in February,also demonstrate parents' continued concern about children's mental health. Mental, emotional health concerns top of mind Certain social media and device settings can also help protect kids. Woolford encourages parents to regularly evaluate their children's use of technology and consider limiting use if they notice signs of unhealthy interactions or behaviors. Screen time became a growing concern for parents during the pandemic, previous reports suggest.

'Children are using digital devices and social media at younger ages, and parents may struggle with how to appropriately monitor use to prevent negative impacts on safety, self-esteem, social connections and habits that may interfere with sleep and other areas of health,' Woolford said. Two-thirds of parents are worried about children's increased time on devices, including overall screen time and use of social media, taking the No.1 and No.2 spots on the list of children's health concerns this year, according to the nationally representative poll. But these have been overtaken by concerns about mental health, social media and screen time,' said Mott Poll co-director and Mott pediatrician Susan Woolford, M.D., M.P.H. 'Parents still view problems directly impacting physical health, including unhealthy eating and obesity, as important children's health issues.

Overall, emotional health and technology use dominated this year's top 10 list of parent concerns about health-related issues for kids in the U.S.- surpassing childhood obesity, which parents rated the number one children's health issue a decade ago. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. Over half of parents also rate mental health issues as leading health concerns for children and teens, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S.

SCIENCE NEWSLETTER FOR PRESCHOOL PARENTS HOW TO

Science newsletter for preschool parents