One Itchy Tag Away from a Meltdown

MuskingumMHRS
Aug 2
4 min read

One Itchy Tag Away from a Meltdown: A Back-to-School Mental Health Reality Check

Ah yes, the smell of fresh notebooks, the sound of kids pretending they definitely didn’t forget their summer reading, and the collective sigh of parents everywhere as the school buses roll out.

We all know what August means—Back. To. School. But not the cute Instagram version. I’m talking about the real-life, panic-at-the-school-supply-aisle, “Wait, why are we out of sandwich bags again?” version. Whether you're a parent, a teacher, or a student just trying to figure out how pants work again after summer break—this season brings all the feelings.

Every year, we make the usual checklist:

Pencils? ✅
Backpack? ✅
Emotional stability and mental preparedness for the chaos ahead? Uhhh…

Mental wellness isn’t a “nice extra”—it’s foundational. Kids don’t just need supplies. They need support. So do the grownups. So do you. So let’s talk about it—the messy, human, honest parts of back-to-school life, and how to care for your brain while you’re caring for everyone else.

“Did you used to teach?” Why yes, yes I did. I actually started adulthood as a teacher. Bless that version of me. She had a closet full of lanyards and highlighters and so much hope. I thought I’d found my lifelong calling. Cut to six months later: I’m hiding in a supply closet crying over a broken laminator and seriously considering faking my own death to avoid parent-teacher conferences.

Listen—teaching is noble, powerful, and wildly important. But it’s also brutal some days, especially when you’re an Ohio girl in Tennessee trying to convince a room full of teenagers that the French Revolution matters more than their flip phones, their cousin’s dirt bike drama, or what’s happening at Sonic after school. So if you’re a teacher, know this: I see you. I once was you. And if you’re a parent thinking, “I could never do that job,”—you’re right. Most people can’t. That’s why educators are superheroes disguised in sensible shoes and caffeine breath.

Back-to-school isn’t just a calendar event. It’s an emotional event. It means new routines, new people, new expectations. That’s a lot for anyone—especially kids. You know what they don’t say when they’re overwhelmed? “Excuse me, I’m having a difficult time regulating my nervous system.” Nope. They say- “My stomach hurts.” “I don’t want to go.” Or they melt down because the tag on their shirt is itchy -though, I get that. Some days, being one itchy tag away from a full-blown adult meltdown feels a little too relatable.

Adults aren’t immune either. Transitions hit all of us. You’re shifting from summer mode to spreadsheets, early alarms, and seventeen new logins. You’re packing lunches like you’re feeding a herd of wild raccoons. You’re trying to act calm while your brain screams. So give everyone grace—including yourself. This is one of my favorite soapboxes, so I’ll keep it short: A dysregulated brain cannot learn. Period.

If a child is struggling, we need to check their emotional safety before we check their homework. This goes for teachers, parents, and really…everyone in the school parking lot.

Regulation starts with connection. Breathe with them. Sit with them. Validate what they feel. Then move forward together. And hey—if you’re the one dysregulated? Step away from the toaster. It’s not about the burnt toast. It’s your nervous system waving a little white flag. Reset. Hydrate. Do your version of a mental recess.

Can routines help? Absolutely. Do they have to be perfect? Absolutely not.

If all you did was get out the door without crying in the car line (from anyone), that’s a win. Some examples of routines that work: Laying out clothes the night before, a little family check-in each morning, letting your child pick a coping item for their backpack (yes, even if it’s a squishmallow). Consistency builds confidence. But perfection is not required. Repeat after me: It doesn’t have to be pretty to be effective.

To every teacher preparing to walk into a classroom full of kids carrying invisible emotional backpacks: You are doing holy work. You are not “just” a teacher. You are a stabilizer, a safe place, and in many cases, the adult who sees a child clearly for the first time all day. You matter. You’re enough. Please take care of your mental health, too.

Let’s stop pretending back-to-school has to be a well-oiled machine. Let’s normalize:

Kids crying at drop-off
Teachers needing a moment (or five)
Parents forgetting what day it is
The weird limbo of excitement and dread that comes with this season

Back-to-school is messy. And that’s okay. We’re not meant to do it perfectly—we’re meant to do it together.

If you take one thing away from this blog, let it be this: Check. On. Your. People.

Not the “let me know if you need anything” kind of check-in. The real kind. The “Hey, how are you really doing with the school transition?” “Want me to pick up some snacks for your kid?” “Need a vent session in the car line?”

Connection matters. Mental health doesn’t thrive in silence. Let’s be the kind of community where it’s okay to say, “I’m not okay today.”

As we head into this school year, here’s your friendly reminder: