Mountainair Public Schools

Is your child’s time consumed with friends on social media? Just because your child spends a lot of time “with friends” on social media may not mean they don’t feel lonely. Young people have a higher prevalence of loneliness than other age groups which also increases the long-term risk of depression. The August Mental Health Newsletter explains the difference between loneliness and isolation, helps parents identify signs of loneliness, and gives you ways to better communicate with your child or teen. If you find yourself avoiding hard conversations with your teen, check out MyLifeIsWorthLiving.org, which is further explained in the newsletter. Watch any of the 20 (5 min) animated episodes on teen mental health. These powerful episodes will open the doors of communication between teen and parents, model for parents ways to communicate with your teen and how to appropriately react as you have conversations around topics such as thoughts of suicide, substance abuse, trauma or even abuse.