GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Back-to-school changes can rattle kids — and parents play a big role in how they adjust, according to Corewell Health child psychotherapist Aubrey Longstreet.

She says the first step to a healthy learning environment is validating a child’s emotions during the transition. Staying calm and confident helps, because kids tend to mirror their parents’ energy. Longstreet said more than half of the children she works with don’t receive that emotional validation, making the shift even harder.

She urges parents to partner closely with schools by sharing observations from home and listening to staff feedback. That collaboration, she says, helps ensure students are in the best learning environment.

“Specifically, in looking at emotional and mental health, it’s making

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