In 2022, Illinois made a bold move. The state passed a law allowing kindergarten to high school students to take up to five excused mental health days.
As a mom of four children, including two teenagers, I am grateful for this option. In my family, we have multiple diagnoses, including anxiety disorders, that make mental health days not only appreciated but essential.
Being a teen can be hard
Adolescence can be tumultuous for teens, parents, teachers, and coaches. It’s not surprising that some teens wind up diagnosed with some of the most common mental health disorders during their middle and high school years.
About 15% of tweens and teens have a mental health disorder, according to the World Health Organization. The most common mental health disorders among teens are, unsurprisingly, anxiety and depression.
Being a teenager is challenging. They face rapid (and often overwhelming) emotional, physical, social, and financial changes. These changes make them “vulnerable to mental health problems,” according to WHO.
The absences are excused
When a student uses a mental health day in Illinois, the absence is considered excused. No doctor’s note is needed — which is a win for parents like me. Going to the doctor takes time and money, which we do not always have. Furthermore, using a mental health day doesn’t mean the student needs to attend a medical appointment. Rather, they may be spending the day resting, for example.
Everyone has bad days
Whether the student has a mental health diagnosis or not — every human has bad days when burrowing under the comforter and watching a favorite TV show is far more appealing than heading to work, whether that work be a paid job, daily tasks, or going to school.
I believe that when states allow mental health days for kids, they are working toward chipping away at mental health stigmas. Our family has used excused mental health days for medical appointments, counseling appointments, and a day off to mentally and physically rest and recalibrate.
I don’t believe in perfect attendance
We need to send the message to all kids, especially our teens, that taking breaks is acceptable and healthy. The rise-and-grind pressure will eventually wear anyone down.
We want our kids to read their body cues and prioritize resting, reflecting, and recharging. The saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup” remains an accurate mental picture for us all.
Mental health issues should be taken seriously
Push through and toughen up aren’t messages I want to send our kids regardless of what they are going through. We need to believe our kids when they tell us, through their words or behaviors, that their mental health isn’t stable.
Forcing our kids to be a warm body in a classroom doesn’t mean they’re learning.
Just because my kids are physically present in their classroom doesn’t mean they are mentally (including academically) present. I believe that giving my kids the opportunity to rest at home, attend therapy, or seek the evaluation and help of a psychiatrist is much more beneficial than them sitting absently at a desk.
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