Your teen was with you when it happened. A large semi didn’t stop, and you were rear-ended. It was fortunate that no one was in front of you. Your vehicle survived the incident, and you both walked away from the crash with moderate injuries.
The crash had the potential to be much worse. Unfortunately, your teen took the brunt of the impact, so he has taken longer to recover. It’s been several weeks, and it’s only now that he’s been talking about returning to school with injuries.
How can you help? Here are 4 ways to help mitigate potential issues that could arise when your teen returns to school.
1. Start with a plan
You probably already recognize that your teen may need additional support if he intends to return to school. It’s possible he won’t have the energy to go to school for the entire day, which is why it’s helpful to contact the school and work out a plan. Some schools allow those returning after injuries, surgeries or other major events to come for only half days or to get back into class by coming to one or two classes a day and completing homework for the others.
2. Think about the condition of your child’s health
Take your child’s condition into consideration before giving the okay to allow him back to school. Don’t be overprotective, but if you find that his head injury is still too severe to return to the level of studies he did in the past, you may want to ask him to continue pursuing therapy for a while longer until his concentration or other skills improve.
3. Try not to rush recovery
It’s a good idea not to rush recovery. Many who rush a recovery after taking a few steps forward will notice that they take steps back. The stress of adding new activities back to a daily routine can cause some problems, especially after head injuries.
4. Encourage moderation
If your child is ready to go back to school, it’s okay to encourage it in moderation. See what happens, and talk to the school about making a plan to accommodate your child and his injuries.
Serious injuries impact your life, but with time, you should be able to resume some, if not all, of your normal activities.