Here is some valuable information from experts that confirms why recess should be an essential component of the school day.
In “Give Students Time to Play” Debbie Rhea explains:
Kids are built to move. Having more time for unstructured outdoor play is like handing them a reset button. It not only helps to break up their day, but it also allows them to blow off steam, while giving them an opportunity to move and redirect their energy to something more meaningful once they return to the classroom.
When a human sits for longer than about 20 minutes, the physiology of the brain and body changes. Gravity begins to pool blood into the hamstrings, robbing the brain of needed oxygen and glucose, or brain fuel. The brain essentially just falls asleep when we sit for too long. Moving and being active stimulates the neurons that fire in the brain. When you are sitting, those neurons don't fire.
www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/02/26/22rhea.h33.html
In another article I found that Anthony Pellegrini, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Minnesota, emphasized that the new science of recess says that recess isn’t a waste of time at all:
Having recess is much, much, much better than not having recess…That’s unequivocal, I feel. That’s a no-brainer.
Pellegrini says, “because attacking recess has got this sort of intuitive feel: If you give kids more time doing something, they’ll do better in school. When in fact the opposite is probably the case.” Repeated studies have shown that when recess is delayed, children pay less andless attention. They are more focusedon days when they have recess. A major study in Pediatrics found that children with more than 15 minutes of recess a day were far better behaved in classthan children who had shorter recess breaks or none at all.
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Recess_Elementary/
Precisely because young people spend so much time with digital media outside of school, schools must offer them a very different kind of education in order to even the cognitive scales. In Greenfield’s view, this means reading copious amounts of old-fashioned literature—just what young people are not doing (according to research) on their own time…. schools could also strive to provide more of the face-to-face contact, the in-person social interaction, that has been largely displaced by young people’s use of Facebook, Twitter, and texting in their off-hours.
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/08/technology_in_the_classr
I’m obviously a believer in play and recess, and you must be as well if read my blogs. This is some powerful information that I hope you can share with your parents, administrators, and legislators!
How Parents Can Recognize and Manage Anxiety to Protect Their Kids
Busy parents with anxiety often work hard to keep daily life steady, yet worry can slip into conversations, routines, and the emotional tone at home. The core tension is painful: protecting children’s emotional well-being while managing a mind that scans for threats and can’t always relax. Anxiety effects in families are rarely loud or obvious, but children notice patterns, absorb tension, and may start reacting in ways that look like “just a phase.” Naming the parental impact on children early makes it easier to protect family mental health.
Understanding How Anxiety Spreads at Home
Parental anxiety can quietly shape the emotional “signal” kids receive each day. When a parent is tense, rushed, or scanning for problems, children often mirror that state and routines can start feeling urgent or fragile. Many kids are emotionally porous, so noticing this pattern is about awareness, not blame.
This matters because anxiety in kids is easier to support when you catch it early, before it turns into daily battles over school, sleep, or separation. The fact that parent stress is a public health concern is helpful here, since your steadiness directly supports their well-being.
Picture a morning where you double-check everything and speak faster without meaning to. Your child might respond with tears, stomachaches, irritability, clinginess, or sudden perfectionism, especially around deadlines, transitions, or conflict. Those signs are clues to a trigger, not proof anyone is failing.
Turn Job Stress Into a Realistic Plan (Not More Pressure)
When work stress is the main “carrier” of anxiety in your home, changing what’s fueling it can be just as important as changing how you cope. If your current job is driving your anxiety, improving your career prospects can create real breathing room, especially when it’s done in a way that doesn’t add more pressure to your days. Online degree programs can make it more realistic to keep working full-time (or keep up with family responsibilities) while you earn a credential, because you’re not forced into a rigid, on-campus schedule.
The key is choosing a school with strong support systems so you’re not trying to manage everything alone. Many adults balancing work, school, and parenting benefit from emotional support (encouragement and understanding), practical support (help navigating requirements and logistics), and workplace support (communication and flexibility when it’s possible). Paired with proactive planning, mapping a doable schedule and using available university resources, those supports can make the challenges of nontraditional students feel manageable and keep you moving toward your academic goals.
Use a 7-Step Reset to Calm Yourself and Support Your Child
When your anxiety spikes, your child usually feels the ripple, through your tone, pace, and decisions. A simple “reset” helps you steady yourself first, then respond in a way that builds safety and resilience, even on busy work-and-school days.
- Name your stress out loud (privately) before you act: Take 10 seconds to label what’s happening: “I’m anxious about tomorrow’s deadline,” or “I’m overwhelmed and rushing.” This small self-reflection tool creates distance between the feeling and your next move, which makes it less likely you’ll snap, catastrophize, or over-control. Research showing that parental anxiety predicts child anxiety is a good reminder that your pause isn’t selfish, it’s protective.
- Do a 90-second body reset (breath + shoulders + feet): Inhale for 4, exhale for 6, five times. Drop your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and press both feet into the floor to cue your nervous system that you’re safe right now. Use this before school drop-off, a hard email, or helping with homework, any moment you’re about to “leak” stress into the room.
- Run the “Plan, not pressure” check from your work-stress map: If your schedule is already tight, don’t add a new wellness routine, attach the reset to the structure you built in your realistic plan. Ask: “What’s the next doable step, and what can wait 24 hours?” Then take one concrete action (send one message, set one reminder, choose one priority) so your brain gets proof you’re not trapped.
- Model a healthy stress script your child can borrow: Say one sentence about your feeling, one sentence about your coping, and one repair if needed: “I’m stressed. I’m going to take three breaths and then we’ll talk. Sorry my voice got sharp.” This teaches kids that big feelings are manageable and relationships can recover, skills they’ll use at school and with friends.
- Create a “safe emotional space” with a daily 10-minute check-in: Pick a consistent time (after snack, before bed) and use two prompts: “What was hard today?” and “What helped even a little?” Keep it judgment-free, no fixing unless they ask. If your child shares something small, treat it as practice for the bigger things later.
- Coach resilience with the 3-step problem-solving loop: When your child is upset, guide them through: Name the problem, list two options, choose one “try-it” step. Example: “Homework feels too big” becomes “Do the first two problems, then take a 5-minute break.” You’re not removing stress; you’re teaching your child they can move through it.
- Set a family “reset cue” for heated moments: Choose a neutral phrase like “reset time” and a simple action everyone recognizes, get a drink of water, hands on belly, then return. Use it when voices rise, especially during morning routines or work-from-home interruptions. It keeps boundaries clear without shame and shows your child that calming down is a normal, shared skill.
Questions Parents Ask About Anxiety and Kids
Q: What signs suggest my anxiety is affecting my child?
A: Watch for new clinginess, irritability, sleep changes, stomachaches, or a sudden need for constant reassurance. You may also notice your child scanning your face to “check” if things are safe. Start by tracking patterns for a week and naming one small change you can make, like speaking slower during transitions.
Q: When should we consider therapy instead of “handling it at home”?
A: Seek support if anxiety causes school refusal, frequent meltdowns, avoidance of normal activities, or lasts more than a few weeks. Therapy is also a good idea if family conflict is rising or you feel stuck in reassurance loops. Asking early can prevent anxiety from becoming your family’s default.
Q: How does treatment like CBT help kids and parents?
A: CBT teaches practical skills for handling worried thoughts, body sensations, and avoidance step by step. Research on CBT treatment shows family factors can strengthen how much child anxiety decreases, so parent involvement often helps.
Q: Can I talk about my anxiety without scaring my child?
A: Yes, if you keep it simple and pair it with a coping plan: “I’m feeling worried, and I’m taking breaths to calm down.” Avoid adult details and make space for your child’s questions. The goal is honesty plus steadiness.
Q: What should I do if I think my child’s well-being is slipping?
A: Start with basics you can influence today: sleep routine, movement, regular meals, and predictable connection time. Then loop in a pediatrician or school counselor if changes persist. Evidence linking parental stress and well-being is a reminder that caring for you is part of caring for them.
Turning Parent Anxiety Into Steady Support for Kids
When anxiety is running in the background, it can be hard to tell what’s protective parenting and what’s simply anxiety taking the wheel. A hopeful parenting approach starts with practical anxiety management: noticing patterns, naming what’s happening, and choosing grounded responses, along with self-care encouragement for parents and professional support when it’s needed. Over time, that steadiness changes the tone at home, kids feel safer, feelings become easier to talk about, and building resilience in families starts to feel possible again. Resilient families are built one steady choice at a time.
