Mental Health Tools for Families to Review at Home-January 2025 Round Table Lesson

Help Your Teen Make Habits of 3 Simple Strengthening Skills

Friday, we held a school-wide lesson on mental health, including awareness and resources, as well as the challenges that come with darker, damp winter days.

 

During the lesson, students heard from Teen Link and our own Mental Health Assistance Team (MHAT) counselors. Students learned about valuable resources, including new SAD lamps funded by our PTSA, and participated in a breathing exercise.

 

There was a lot for students to absorb. And, these skills take time and practice to imbed them in your student’s automatic responses to busy or stressful days. Students must think about the tools below when they have calm, quiet time with you to guide them.

 

As our students reflect on their mental health and how it might be changing with a new season, this is a wonderful opportunity for you to partner with them as they navigate seasonal stresses, emotions, and challenges.

 

Here are some helpful exercises you can practice together, inspired by Friday's lesson:

 

Notice. Name. Navigate.

• Help your teen identify and express the intensity of their emotions. Start with simple observations like, “It sounds like you’re really frustrated.”
• Guide them through the "  4 Options for Any Problem” approach, helping them brainstorm solutions without taking over. While it can be tempting to solve problems for them because it reduces your stress, teens benefit more when we empower them to find their own solutions.
• Also print or create a screen background with our Notice, Name, Navigate bookmark to remind your students in times of stress.

 

Validating Emotions.

• When emotions run high, teens often seek understanding and acceptance.
• Pause and take a breath before responding.
• Avoid reacting strongly; instead, calmly ask about their feelings or follow the “Notice, Name, Navigate” approach.
• Practicing gentle, validating statements can have a calming effect on both you and your child.
• For further support, check out the Seattle Children's Hospital: Validation Tool.

 

The “Smoke Detector” Principle.

• According to Randolph Nesse, a professor at the University of Michigan, our brains have a “smoke detector” mechanism that triggers stress responses when we perceive threats, whether real or imagined.
• When your teen says they’ll “die” if they don’t accomplish something, their stress response is activated, not unlike a fire alarm going off.
• By recognizing this, you can first check in with your own response, then listen calmly and without judgment.
• Using “I statements” can help turn moments of tension into opportunities for shared understanding.

 

We hope these strategies give you practical ways to support your teen’s mental health by helping them recognize and validate their emotions. 

 

Thank you for being a partner in this work—together with students, teachers, and you, we can create communities of belonging at home and school where students feel seen, heard, and valued.

 

It will help your students get the most from our lesson Friday if you can find time to go over it with them in a quiet moment at home where they can more clearly understand these tools and can think more carefully about how to use them in their own life

• The video we shared can be watched here on their BSD device 
• We've posted resource flyers through NHS. Your student can look for them in any time of need.