Back to School Wellness and Preparation

We once again approach that special time of year when back to school preparations begin. As we do every year, we take the time to highlight educational resources for improving mental health and self-care during the return to school period, as well as community resources to help parents who may need extra support with getting their children school ready. We always want to encourage parents and school professionals to stop and take a moment to check in with themselves, to take stock of how you are physically feeling, and what steps you can do to take care of yourself before the summer is over.  Have you made time, just for yourself, to do something engaging but restful like reading a book, eating something indulgent, or engaging in a personal hobby, even for just 30 minutes during the day?  Take the time to engage and tune your daily habits with mindful, purposeful activities that restore and fulfill you.

Listed below are a mix of suggested self-care educational sites to help with that goal, followed by community back to school resources:

SELF-CARE:

• The Kids Mental Health Foundation: This page offers many different articles and tips on healthy routines, managing anxiety, activity sheets and more.   One we like to feature is their Mental Health Checklist, which focuses on return to school self-care.
• Back to School and Mental Health:  this article hosted by the SAMHSA features suggestions for bolstering mental health in supporting children, as well as a list of further mental health resources.
• The Mental Health Coalition: This article focuses on both kids and parents naming difficult emotions you may go through during transition of back to school and advice on how to manage those feelings.
• Parent Self-Care Tips: This article also offers self-care and wellness tips targeted specifically during the back to school transition.
• Parents Helping Parents is a support organization with in-person and virtual parenting support groups as well as a 24-hour support line.
• PBS Teacher’s Lounge: A regularly updated blog celebrating educators and education, and promoting educators’ self care.

Back to School Community Resources

• The Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement's Youthline program is an online and in person resource available for any student, offering community resources, programs and city opportunities, and more.
• The Boston Teachers’ Union is hosting their 12^th annual back to school fair, with free books for students and educators, as well as opportunities to connect with community based programs.
• Mass.gov shares this helpful checklist to help parents prepare for return to school, with a focus on meeting medical needs.
• This site offers a list of school supply distributors for low-income families in need in the Boston area.
• This guide has listed multiple major resources for seeking out school supplies for families is need.
• Each year the Salvation Army hosts a Back to School Celebration.  This year, it is once again hosted at the TD Garden, on Wednesday August 13^th.  Eligible registrant can receive school supplies, clothing and jackets, and more.
• School on Wheels continues to provide backpack and supply donations and community services for students and families surviving homelessness, click the link to find out more about their mission as well as how to donate.
• Cradles to Crayons is another local community resource offering school supplies to kids in need.

Please feel free to reach out to us at the Employee Assistance Program for support, or if you have any other back to school resources you feel would be good for this list. Have a restful end of summer.