Columbia Standard

Returning to school after summer break can be as stressful for parents as it is for students, and Columbia pediatrician Dr. Deborah Greenhouse wants to make sure the former is doing its homework to start this school year.

“Get some exercise every day,” Greenhouse told WISTV.com. “When your kids get home from school, talk to them about how their day went. Try and reassure them.  Try to keep your routine as routine as you can.”

With most Midland students soon expected to be back in the classroom for the first time in a long while, Greenhouse admits she’s already getting  more visits from anxious students as ever before.

“This school year will be a little bit different, but we still need to be focusing on the simple things that make kids anxious every year,” added Greenhouse, who's a pediatrician with Palmetto Pediatric/Prisma Health.

Greenhouse said quickly establishing and adhering to a regular routine can go a long way in calming the nerves of anxious students. She added parents who see their children struggling in any way shouldn’t hesitate to seek help for them.

“If their behavior, in general, is just changing overall,” she said. “If they’re coming home, and they’re so wound up that they’re throwing a whole bunch of tantrums, also a reason to reach out.”

With the National Institute of Mental Health reporting that nearly 32% of all teens 13-18 experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, and the Anxiety & Depression Association of America adds rates of anxiety have spiked over the life of the COVID-19 crisis.