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Living's Not Always Easy For Kids in Summertime

Summer offers adults the chance to break from routine, but for children, this break can be stressful. APA's consumer Web site offers parents useful tips on helping children enjoy this time of year.

For many people, summer is a time to unwind, relax, and travel. Although the summer may also be an exciting time for children, summer activities such as camp and vacation or the advent of a new school year can often be anxiety provoking for them.

To help parents ensure that their children enjoy these new experiences with minimal stress, APA has issued a number of tips on its Web site for the public, HealthyMinds.org.

It is not uncommon for children to experience anxiety related to being away from home. Specific worries may surface around traveling long distances or getting lost.

Suggestions to parents who are traveling with children include helping children understand a little bit about vacation spots, where they are located, and how the family will get there.

It is important to keep children occupied with books and games on long plane or car trips, the site points out.

It can also be reassuring for children who are traveling to have their parents establish some sort of routine and to ensure that they have with them familiar items from home such as a stuffed animal or blanket.

More than 10 million children attend summer camp each year, and while summer camp can be an enriching and educational experience, it can also provoke worry in children of various ages.

Homesickness, for instance, "is a normal reaction to being away from family and friends, especially for the first time," according to HealthyMinds.org.

Simply telling kids to be strong, for instance, can worsen the situation. "Instead, be supportive, reassuring, and consistent," the site advises parents. "Tell them that you understand that it's hard to be away from home and that you miss them, too."

Scheduling phone calls or visits may also be helpful.

Starting school for the first time can be another stressful experience for many children.

"Anxiety about starting school usually passes within the first few days or weeks," said David Fassler, M.D., an APA trustee and a child and adolescent psychiatrist, in a press release posted on the HealthyMinds Web site. "However, if kids are having excessive or ongoing difficulties (for example, problems sleeping, frequent temper tantrums, reluctance or refusal to go to school), further evaluation may be needed."

Tips on children's mental health are posted at <www.healthyminds.org>.

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