There is so much going on in my life and the world today. Even as an adult, my mind needs a break. Thankfully, I have learned how to decompress when things start to stress me out. But I can’t help wondering how young people are dealing.
Young people seem to have much more to deal with now than I did at the same age. Every day, the growing challenges of the world make it more difficult to cope. Lately, I’ve observed many news stories about students suffering from mental health issues. Since young people are the future, we need to put systems put in place to help them deal with stress and protect their peace.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels this way. Senator Willis Blackshear from Dayton, Ohio (my hometown) recently announced a bill that would allow K-12 students to utilize mental health days. Occasionally giving students time away from school “creates a safe space where they can address some of the things that they are going through”, according to Senator Blackshear. The bill was created after acknowledging the impact of stressors for today’s kids, such as social media, peer pressure, 24/7 news cycles, etc. The bill also states it will not “punish” a student for taking these special days off, so it does not tarnish their school attendance record or result in a consequence for not showing up. You can read more about it here:
Ohio lawmaker has renewed hopes for bill to allow K-12 kids to take ‘mental health’ days | WYSO
Personally, I think this bill is a great idea because it gives students dealing with big issues a day or two to get back to a healthy or positive mindset. Since statics show many kids deal with mental health issues, why wouldn’t we put a system in place to try and help them?
When a kid sees no way out of a stressful situation, they tend to act out. When someone acts out, it is typically because he or she has nowhere or no one to turn to, which can lead to devasting results. As a society, we don’t want that for our kids.
I wish this bill had existed when I was still school age. A day off to visit a nature park or a chance to do something crafty would’ve been very beneficial. I think this is a great bill and will help many kids to be the best version of themselves. What’s your take?