Mental Health Days for Kids? 🤔
Dec 30, 2025
An ‘older’ parent (probably like my age or so) recently complained to me about this “ridiculous new trend”:
“Mental health days! I never had a mental health day growing up, and my parents certainly didn’t have mental health days! What’s wrong with this entitled generation that fourth graders are taking time off school just because they feel like it!”
Ahhh. I love this question.
…This is the most 2025 question ever!
Because yes, if you were born in the ’60s, you probably weren’t offered a mental health day. You weren’t even offered the words mental health. If you were overwhelmed, you were told to “get over it.” If you were struggling, you were reminded that others had it worse. If you were sad, well, not sure exactly what happened but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a coffee date with a parent to discuss the triggers. 
And yet, here we are. A world where kids (and adults!) are encouraged to acknowledge when they need a break. Where the phrase “mental health” is not just spoken about behind closed doors anymore.
So… is this a good thing? Or is it just another sign that this generation is weak and soft? Or is it a sign of strength?
Introducing; (drum roll please!)
“Mental Health Days!” 
Here’s what I think: Taking a mental health day doesn’t mean “I don’t feel like dealing with life.” It means recognizing the need to recharge before things spiral into something worse.
We accept that if a child has a fever, they should rest. (Unless they’ve been home all week already 
!) But when a child is emotionally burnt out—from school, social stress, anxiety, or just life—shouldn’t that be a reason to pause, too?
Here’s what today’s kids understand (that we took time to learn): Your brain and body are connected. Exhaustion isn’t just physical. Stress doesn’t just disappear because you “push through.” And—taking a break can actually make you more productive in the long run.
My mother was onto this when I was growing up! Some of my favorite childhood memories was staying home from school in pajamas, when I wasn’t sick… “just because.” But not everyone had that experience.
Listen to what we learned from our Parents Generation:
Our parents’ generation had resilience drilled into them. There was no self-care, no weekly therapy, no “what do you need right now?” There was Work. Responsibility. A belief that feelings were manageable inconveniences, not reason to stop what you’re doing.
And of course, we benefited from that SO many ways. We learned grit. We learned how to push through discomfort. We learned that showing up matters even when it’s hard!
But we also Maybe learned to ignore our own limits. To feel guilty about rest. To believe that being overwhelmed meant we were weak, rather than just… nor al.
So where’s the middle ground? This is how I sum it up in my humble opinion!
• A mental health day isn’t a free pass to avoid responsibility.
• It is a chance to prevent small struggles from becoming major breakdowns.
• It doesn’t mean kids shouldn’t learn resilience.
• It does mean we teach them that taking care of themselves isn’t selfish—it’s smart.
So yes, maybe fourth graders taking mental health days feels strange. But maybe, just maybe, they’re onto something we wish we had known at their age.
Because here’s the thing: Whether we call it a “Mental Health Day” or just “Taking a Break,” or “Just Because Day” at some point, they may need to step back, regroup, and breathe.
And then… It’s over and they need to get back to school.
ASAP!!!
,
Shifi
