Building a Supportive Community: How Schools Can Support Parent Mental Health

The surgeon general recently reported, “Two-fifths of parents say that on most days, ‘they are so stressed they cannot function.'” The report highlights that stress among parents is at a critical level. Parental stress is so severe the surgeon general issued a public health warning.

How can schools help? Teachers and administrators can support parent’s mental health in many ways. As a bonus, helping parents can improve students’ lives, too.

Why Is Parent Mental Health So Poor?

Parents have a lot on their plates. Among the top issues parents face are finances, lack of free time, and concerns about social media. Parents also worry about their children’s mental health and safety. Plus, two-thirds of parents feel lonely. 

As a mom to three, I can relate to many of these concerns. Raising children is expensive in the day-to-day. Then, I worry about their college education and future financial stability. Another major concern is social media. My oldest is eleven, and many of his friends are active online. I try to limit his time online and don’t allow him to be on social media, but I worry about the future. How will we balance his need to socialize and interact with friends with his mental health?

Many parents also face other concerns. A few include their child’s development, emotional well-being, or learning disability. Finding support and resources creates additional work on top of their already busy lives.

What Parents Need for Good Mental Health

The surgeon general’s report suggested that parents need more help with childcare and healthcare. Also, the report recommends providing parents with paid family and medical leave. Perhaps most relevant to schools, the report also suggests creating opportunities for socializing. This might happen through community parks and programs where parents and caregivers can chat. 

In other words, it takes a whole community to raise children. Parents need the support of many sectors, including local schools.

Five Ways Schools Can Support Parent Mental Health

While parents’ mental health is reportedly in decline, it is time to seek peer support and tap into the community parents are already heavily invested in – their child’s school.

Supporting parental mental health can create a more positive school community overall. How? Children’s mental and physical health are closely linked to parent mental health. When parents feel good, their children can be more successful.

Here are a few ways schools can support the mental health of parents.

#1 Create Space to Socialize

One factor impacting parent’s health is loneliness. Recent surveys show that up to 8% of Americans have no friends at all. Loneliness can cause stress and even have a negative impact on your heart health. 

School events can offer space for parents to chat and form friendships. As a teacher, I often saw this happen at my school’s picnics, which were fun for both students and parents. A picnic or pancake breakfast creates a relaxed space for interaction. So many school events focus on performances or competitions, which are also fun, but may create some anxiety and stress for families. Hosting even one or two events a year focused on making connections can help reduce loneliness for parents and children.

Another idea is to use your school’s communications platform. School Signals helps connect parents for peer and social support. In the School Directory, parents can add hobbies and interests to their profile. That way, other parents can search the directory for parents who share the same hobbies and interests. For instance, parents might find another parent who enjoys gardening. Or, parents can connect with the parents of their child’s classmates. This makes it easy to arrange play dates or homework study sessions. We have a chat feature, and parents can send chat messages to one another individually or by creating a group chat.

#2 Foster a Sense of Purpose

Studies show that having a sense of purpose can reduce stress and even help you live longer. One way to help create purpose in parents is with volunteering opportunities. 

When parents volunteer, they boost their sense of purpose. Schools can use parent volunteers as tutors to fundraise, help organize events, and more. School Signals makes it easy to help parents sign up for volunteering opportunities. Parents can sign up through the app.

#3 Talk About Mental Health!

When children talk about mental health at school, it creates space for talking about mental health at home. These conversations can help both parents and children. Experts suggest that parents can also model how to get help by going to therapy. 

Schools can also create awareness campaigns. For example, schools can put up bulletin boards in the front lobby, highlighting local resources for mental health. Or, post information about mental health resources on your school’s communication platform. Raising awareness, parents learn about resources that can help them meet their mental health needs.

#4 Focus on Proactive Communication

One eternal worry for parents is their child’s school performance. Proactive communication from teachers can help alleviate anxieties and uncertainty. Creating space for communication also ensures parents feel respected and supported. It means one less thing they have to worry about. 

As a former teacher, I’ve enjoyed great communication with my children’s teachers, in part because I am very proactive. Yet, not all parents may feel that same confidence when bringing up concerns to their child’s teacher. A school communication platform can make it easier for parents to contact teachers. This way, they can address questions and concerns quickly and privately. Schools can also create space for communication with regular parent-teacher conferences throughout the year.

#5 Emphasize Overall Well-Being

Today, many parents feel a lot of pressure. They want to ensure their child is at the top of their class, the best in their sport, and involved in other enrichment activities. This can result in stress for parents and children. 

As an elementary school teacher, I helped foster community with a kindness jar in my classroom. I encouraged children to write down kind things they noticed their classmates doing. Every week, we read the notes in the jar. Then, we added a ribbon to a plain wreath for each note. After a few weeks, our wreath was filled. Classroom activities like this can help students focus on cooperation rather than competition. Teachers can share about activities like this, helping change parents’ mindsets about what success looks like.

The Takeaway

Schools are an essential part of our communities. Parents rely on schools to educate their children and provide support. Schools can help build positive communities by supporting parents’ mental health through strategies like effective communication, creating opportunities for socializing,  encouraging volunteerism, and talking about mental health.

How does your school support parent’s mental health?