(WXYZ) — A new national poll on children's health reveals that that many parents struggle to decide whether their child should stay home from school if they don't feel well.
According to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital:
- 1/4 of parents say the attendance policies are challenging for kids with medical conditions
- 2/3 of parents say their adolescent or teen worries about how sick days may impact grades
- 1/5 of parents consider if their child needs a mental health day
Coincidentally, this month, Michigan lawmakers submitted bills in Lansing to give students up to five mental health days per school year. However, is that enough for kids, and do parents think it's a cool idea? I headed out to Waterford and Troy to talk to them.
I spoke to parents Sandra Daw, Emily Row, and Cynthia Walker at the Waterford Township Public Library.
"I think it's early in the process. I hope they get more input from parents, educators and pediatricians," Walker said.
"I think it awesome. I feel like when I was a kid, I was pretty anxious, and I don't think that was talked about a lot," Row added.
"Personally, for us I don't see a difference because they are sick either mentally, emotionally or physically, we do call the school and tell the principal that the child is not coming to school that day," Daw said.
In Troy, I got input from the mom-and-daughter duo Katie and Claire Trexler and the grandma-and-granddaughter duo Tami and Camdin Freed.
"It makes sense, that like they could take it and it wouldn't have any consequences or any negative effect," Claire told me.
"Kids have just as many thoughts, they get depressed, they get overwhelmed. And mental health days, five a year, I think it would be good for them, as a safety net to know that they got that," Tami said.
"What about concerns about missing school or not being able to catch up on schoolwork?" I asked.
"I think that they are given mental health days that perhaps it would be easier for them to catch up with their school work," Tami said.
"I see some of the pros, the school doesn't need to know why the child is out. The cons i do see, is if the children take advantage of it," Daw said.
"Chronic absenteeism is a problem. And I'm concerned some kids will take advantage of it, 'oh I cant do my homework, I got a test tomorrow, oh let me take a mental health day,'" Walker added.
"Say even before this bill was proposed, you think kids were having a hard time even suggesting, 'hey can I get a day off?'" I asked.
"You know, I was really struggling, if I was going through a rough time, I'm sure she would be really understanding. But I'm sure some people will find it harder to convince their parents to take a day," Row said.
"I think they are look at kids mental health. I think better use of that bill is to provide more social work more social work than providing mental health days," Katie said.
"Say lawmakers came to you and said, 'Camdin, what can we do to make your school life better?'" I asked.
"Well first of all I would say no phones allowed at school. And at my school we have flex days, then you time to have fun in class instead of just doing school work," Camdin told us.
"Just be more open. If they are coming to you for this than take it seriously," Claire said.
