Is your child prepared for school reopening?
“Good luck is a residue of preparation.”
― Jack Youngblood, American football player
COVID-19 disrupted the world as we know it. It also changed the face of education as we moved away from classrooms and on to online lessons. Making this transition was not easy to say the least. It required everyone — parents, students, and teachers — to adapt to the new normal.
Now that schools are in the process of reopening, we must prepare the children for this change to make it easier for them to move back into physical classrooms. Though, it seems like the children are reverting to the same old physical classrooms that they are used to from digital classrooms, this is not the case as things have shifted fundamentally. Now that children have spent considerable time away from the traditional school environment, they need to be gently guided back to school.
That’s why we have curated tips that will help parents prepare their child for the school reopening.
Tip to help your child be prepared for the school reopening
A paper published in 2020, in the journal of Behaviour Analysis in Practice, titled Returning to School: Separation Problems and Anxiety in the Age of Pandemics, mentions a few parenting tips that can help parents make going back to school less stressful for their children.
- Learn more about the new classroom rules and routines and try to incorporate these rules and routines into your plans. Discuss these rules and routines with your child and clarify their queries. If possible, do have a word with your child’s teachers to understand how they are approaching the situation and making it easier for children to be back in school.
- Pay extra attention to the verbal and non-verbal cues displayed by the child, and use this knowledge to reassure them. You can also ask your child to draw what they think about the school reopening, and respond truthfully to their concerns.
- Keep in mind that your child may protest to avoid going to school after spending such a long time at home. At times like these, keep calm and be relaxed. Create a plan of how you will help your child transition from home to school while staying calm and relaxed.
- Ensure that your child is positively engaged in an activity before the child leaves for school. Try to create a less stressful and safe environment for the child to depart home. One of the quickest ways of doing this is to engage in a quick game of tic-tac-toe or rock-paper-scissors every day, accompanied by a quick reassuring hug or a high-five before the child leaves for school. It will provide a positive routine for the child.
- After dropping the child at the school gate or a school bus, do announce your departure in a simple and straightforward manner, such as — “I will be back to pick you up. I love you.”,“Have fun at school. See you in the evening.”, or “I have to go now. Bye-bye.” Ensure that you both are following the social distancing norms. Do not return to a protesting child once you have dropped your child off. It will only reinforce the protests.
- Be consistent and predictable. Following a steady, consistent, and predictable routine will help your child understand that everything is normal in this post-pandemic world.
Children look up to their parents to understand how to react during stressful situations. Teaching children how to adapt to new situations is critical. We are hopeful that the aforementioned strategies will help you support your child and help your family to thrive in this new normal.
Did you like this article? Are you eager to implement these strategies? Let us know in the comment section below.
References
- Pelaez, M., & Novak, G. (2020). Returning to school: Separation problems and anxiety in the age of pandemics. Behaviour Analysis in Practice, 13, 521-526. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00467-2
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