Nicole Bennett offers 10 practical tips to support students’ mental health over the summer

Nicole Bennett, a licensed clinical social worker and regional clinical director for Effective School Solutions, led a May workshop for parents in the Kenosha School District offering 10 practical strategies to support children’s mental health over the summer.

Bennett opened by telling attendees the goal was not perfection but practical education: “We’re not going for perfection. We’re going for education and how to support our kids,” she said. She described her team as five clinicians working across seven local schools (four middle schools and three high schools) and said the program carries a caseload of about 75 students in the district.

Why it matters: Bennett said summer is an opportunity to practice routines, build resilience and keep supports in place. She emphasized that children “do best with routines,” recommending consistent bedtimes, meal times and simple chore lists, and advised parents to begin shifting schedules back toward the school routine about two weeks before classes resume.

Practical steps and evidence cited: Bennett highlighted outdoor, supervised play as beneficial to executive functioning and mental health and suggested activities that build planning and prioritization skills. She also recommended allowing children to try and fail within safe limits to develop problem-solving and persistence, using a metaphor of an individual “backpack” for everyday responsibilities and noting that caregivers should tag in supports when serious burdens arise.

On screen time, Bennett urged caution. She told the group that excessive use can hinder language and social development and gave a research-informed guideline that routine personal screen access is developmentally advisable to delay until roughly 15 years old (she acknowledged this is a spectrum and context-dependent). A meeting participant pushed back that technology can foster social connection and creativity, saying, “Technology is not like it was. It is a huge part of our society,” and argued for education on safe use rather than blanket bans; Bennett responded that parents can instead set clear boundaries and teach platform-appropriate safeguards.

Maintaining supports and referrals: Bennett said families whose children receive school-based counseling should aim to continue services over the summer when possible and advised parents to contact their school counselors about waitlists and referrals. She noted that the local program can provide referrals and that some families might pursue outdoor- or activity-based options (for example, art or equine therapy) during the break.

Safety concerns raised by parents: During discussion, parents raised behavioral and safety concerns on school buses, including reports of frequent fights on some routes and requests for more district funding for bus aides. One participant said a problem bus was “out of control” and reported it had been pulled over during the school year after fights; Bennett acknowledged district budget limits but urged parents to raise concerns with school administrators.

Tools and skills: Bennett briefly defined DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) and described short coping skills such as “check the facts,” and she recommended distress-tolerance exercises (deep breathing, graded exposure) to help children manage anxiety. She also encouraged caregiver self-care and modeling rest and routines.

Resources and next steps: Bennett directed attendees to a handout called “10 tips for supporting students over the summer,” read a passage from the children’s book The Rabbit Listened to illustrate the value of listening, and invited questions after the session. She said attendees could complete a survey on site and provided contact information for follow-up and referrals.

The workshop concluded with Bennett available for a brief Q&A; she confirmed her team’s local presence and said parents could contact their school counselors to discuss individual services or referrals.