After the long period of adjusting to the confusion and isolation of home-schooling, kids need guidance and time to adjust and prepare for when school starts again. It will be quite a different experience for them based on the continuing mitigation of mask wearing, and social distancing, which safeguard their health. For many of the kids, the virus is an invisible force. It represents unseen danger. Although the vaccines have made many people well again, the virus’s continuing presence is threatening.
The lack of peer social interaction has been traumatic too, because kids need other kids in their lives, to relate too and share experiences with, often. Kids form bonding friendships that encourage their emotional development. Communication with peers creates an environment for effective learning to happen.
Parental Expectations Post Covid and Home-Schooling
As loving parents or parental figures, your hope is that these resilient mini people will quickly adjust to their peers, the masks and distancing. Normalcy might replace the oddity that was the home-schooling experience. For kids to ease into school this fall it is imperative that a healthy and familiar routine of activity begins weeks before the actual re-opening of school. This applies to young children, elementary, middle school and yes, teens too.
Kids mirror their parents and trusted authority figures as a coping skill, and to learn what they should be feeling and anticipating. They are vulnerable and very impressionable. Your calm, confident demeanor, positivity and loving focus on their needs, questions, concerns and actions is their best example of what they should be feeling as life becomes more familiar and less daunting and lonely.
Restore Routine and Prepare for a New Normal
A routine should be established for doing homework, having play dates, using the internet, having dinner, quiet time conversations, clean up and bedtime. During lockdown and the home-schooling process, their schedule was often drastically different than the in-person schooling experience they knew. An early return to a healthy, well thought out routine will prepare them physically for schools start.
Sharing Emotions as a Return from Isolation Unfolds
Emotionally, a quiet discussion about their feelings and anxieties can also become an integral part of their day. Older children have been missing their friends. They have had the added stress of worrying about the retention and mastery of new information covered during the lockdown months. Many parents and students found online learning to be confusing, unfulfilling, and even boring. Going forward, teachers and parents will need to determine if the home-school activity failed to educate the children. Testing and other steps should be taken to reinforce areas of concern.
Count Down to In-School Attendance
As Fall approaches, schools and the CDC will determine the procedures for a safe return to school, location by location. Sharing the information about mitigation practices, and the possibility that a single teacher and a number of students will spend the entirety of the day in one space, must be shared with your kids. This will allow their expectations to be in line with what will potentially be done to keep the students, teachers and staff safe.
As the 1st Day Approaches
Keep calm, confident and positive. Use the following list of “Prep Steps” to assist with
promoting an atmosphere of positivity. Also, make sure the school commute is safe by having your auto insurance coverage updated, to be proactively road ready in 2021, while traversing the many distracted parents. Freeway Insurance has been keeping families safe for decades. Call them for the latest updates on total coverage.
Prep Steps for School Readiness Include:
1. Hope and Excitement – In the days leading up to the opening of school instill in your kids feelings of hopefulness and excitement
2. Stay Safe at School – pointing out that washing your hands before and after eating or using sanitizer, are good general practices of healthy behavior that work to keep them well. Discuss what the school is doing to keep everyone happy and healthy.
3. Share School Scheduling and Information – Discuss with your kids the information which their teachers are sharing about classroom layout, timing for class work, lunch, gym and other schedule activities. They will have the time to absorb the facts, ask questions, and get familiar with routines.
4. Use Visualization Props – To reassure your youngest kids about classroom appearance and seating, ask the school if they might send an image or some visual aid to allow the child to get familiar with their surrounds.
5.Take a “Heads Up” Approach to this Transition – The lockdown was a highly unusual and challenging experience globally. Time and communication will help to heal the kids and society. It will not be a quick fix. Stay strong and optimistic and the kids will feel it.
6. Look for Signs of Struggles and Learning Difficulties – If your kids are struggling with assignments, seem agitated after school and are having headaches or no appetite, take action. Speak to the teacher about extra support. Also, consult with your physician about the current issues your child is experiencing.
Many months of isolation and suffering have had an effect on everyone making it difficult to be positive and hopeful. Science has been a superpower and has saved millions of lives. It is a time to be grateful, and hopeful. When your kids see you embrace life, friends, activities and work with a happy anticipation it will be contagious in all good ways.
