As our children prepare to head back to school after COVID, many of us have the same questions and concerns;
How do I prepare my child for back to school 2020? How do I explain COVID to them? How do I ease any back to school anxiety that my children & I are experiencing after COVID?
Today I am sharing practical advice and actionable steps to take to help to prepare yourself and your family for back to school in a world with COVID.
Table Of Contents
Arm Yourself With Information
Back to school 2020 will be like no other back to school season that any of us have ever dealt with. On top of the usual back to school organising and checklists, there is so much more we need to know and prepare for.
More than anything, the guidelines and advice that will impact our children’s return to school will. Here is some information that you will need to seek out keep up with as your children return to school after COVID.
Government Guidelines & Advice
Never before has everything changed so much and so quickly. As the top government scientists learn more about the virus and how it is spreading every day, so the rules and guidelines are amended too.
Whether you live in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland or elsewhere, it is best to get your information regarding current policies directly from the government website.
School Policies
It appears that although there are government policies in place to dictate when schools reopen in each area, the guidelines and rules are varying greatly from school to school.
Some schools are implementing staggered start and finishing times. Other schools are making changes to their school uniform policies, with some becoming more strict when others are banning uniform altogether. Some schools are asking pupils to bring in stationery supplies that would normally be supplied for them, while others are asking that pupils show up with nothing but their coats.
With policies differing so widely, make sure that you check with your child’s school to see which changes will be enforced and how it will impact both what you have to prepare and your child’s school day.
Explain To Your Child At Their Level
It has been a strange and worrying time, even for us adults. Our children, some of which who will have been off school for 6 months by the time they return to the classroom, will understandably be feeling some levels of anxiety.
It’s a delicate balance for us parents to walk – both equipping our children with enough information to encourage hand washing and appropriate social distancing, while not scaring the life out of them.
It is important to explain what is going on in the world at a level appropriate to your child’s age and cognitive ability.
Social stories are an excellent way to explain any difficult topic to younger children. The social story below is a nice example.
For my children, I have explained that the risk for children low and that they should not worry about themselves. I have said that the reasons why we are practicing additional hand washing and social distancing are to stop the virus spreading to people who are poorly and that this is a kind thing to do.
Like any response to covid (or anything to do with parenting for that matter), I am not going to pretend that this is the perfect response. I do, however, believe that this explanation will gently encourage my younger children to exercise caution without terrifying them.
Explore Your Child’s Feelings About What Is Going On
Although it would be so lovely to think that all of our children could have breezed through this pandemic blissfully unaware of what has been going on in the world, the truth of the matter is that they will have picked up on it, on some level at least.
Even if you have been careful to only share certain information with your children, it is likely that they may have picked up additional snippets of information and interpreted them in their own way. As fake news can terrify us, adults, a fragment of information taken out of context by a child can easily become way more frightening than it needs to be.
Talking to your children about how they are feeling and answering any questions that they may have is important before they return to school. Asking them to explain to you, in their own words, what they understand to be going on in the world. This should help you to gauge their current level of understanding and help you correct any misinformation that may be troubling them.
Answer any questions they may have as honestly as you can, while keeping your answers age appropriate.
Set A Positive Example
Children often pick up far more from us by watching and listening to the things that go on when we think they are ignoring us than they ever do from listening to something that we actually want them to hear.
If you want your children to wash their hands, lead by example! Let them see you practicing good personal hygiene practices.
If you want your children to understand social distancing, make sure that you are setting a good example and staying an appropriate distance from others too.
You can also set a good example by talking about your own feelings. Explain that the situation can be confusing and worrying for grown ups too and why it is so important to discuss these fears.
Prepare Your Child’s Supplies
On top of the usual back to school preparation checklist, there may be certain other items that you’re child will require.
For example, children over the age of 11 will need to wear face coverings on public transport and in shops in some areas. It may be a good idea to provide your Childe with hand sanitiser or wipes.
Some schools will request that your child brings a packed lunch rather than having school meals, while other schools will be the other way around.
Certain schools will request that your child brings pencil case and other supplies while others do not allow them.
Please check with your child’s school to see exactly what they will be required to bring.
Ensure The School Has Your Correct Contact Details
This one is good practice anyway, but now more than ever it is essential that our children’s schools have the most up to date telephone numbers and emails addresses for us.
The school may need to contact you in emergencies such as sudden changes to arrangements, localised school closures and if your child or anyone they come into contact with show symptoms.
Get Into A Routine Before School Starts
With the best part of 6 months without a school day routine, many children are totally out of sync with their normal schedule. In the weeks leading up to back to school, gradually move bedtimes towards the rime they will need to be on a school night and get your children up closer and closer to the time they will need to be up for school.
In an attempt to minimise the disruptions when my children return to school, we are sticking to a separate week nigh and weekend routine, similar to the way we would during term time. On weeknights, the children are going to bed at the same time that they would on a school night and they are allowed to stay up later on Friday & Saturday nights. This should make the return to the school routine a little less of a shock, as they will at least be on the right sleep schedule.
Consider A School Run Dry Run
This can help you as a parent as much as it can help your kids! Consider doing a school morning practice run (or even a few) before schools starts. Lay everyone’s clothes out the night before then get up and dressed at the same time you would as if you were going to school. This will be a great practice for “the real thing” and remind you exactly how long things take in the mornings. You can then adjust your wake up time accordingly to avoid being late on the first day.
Travel to school the way in which you would if the school was open. Talk on your journey about all they are looking forward to when they start back.
When you get to school, if the school set up permits it, take a look at the school grounds. Show your children where they will play and where they will line up and go into school. Seeing that the school is there, just as when they left it, may ease their anxiety about returning.
Prepare For Different Eventualities
While we are all hoping for the best, we need to prepare ourselves for the reality of localised lockdowns or a second wave. There are a few steps that you can take to make sure that these transitions are as smooth as possible for you and your child.
- Ensure that you have the right logins for any online learning portals from the school.
- Have a “work from home” space set up for both you and your children in case your school has a “learning from home” period for any given time.
Give Yourself A Break
The transition back to the “new mortal” is not easy for any of us. The pandemic has impacted us all in different ways, but there is no escaping the fact that it has touched us all. No one has all of the answers and that’s scary. Just know that you are doing your best and that if you have anxiety about what is coming next, you are not alone.
Love Rhi x
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