2020 will forever be known as the year of the pandemic, 2021 is following a very similar trajectory but there is one major difference between this year and last year…hope. With vaccines being administered around the world, the race is on to get back to normal, whatever that looks like these days. One of the hardest-hit areas was schooling, with over 160 million children globally not being able to attend school because of lockdowns. 2021 has brought with it the promise of some light at the end of the very dark tunnel that was 2020, starting with children being able to return to class. Here are 5 ways you can prepare your children for their return:
How Do You Prepare Your Kids to Return to School
1. Mental Preparation
For the most part, all of our children will be looking forward to going back to school but they will need some added mental preparation. It’s helpful to sit your kids down and answer any questions and address any concerns they may have about returning to class when the pandemic is still going strong.
2. Physical Preparation
Now that your kids are mentally and emotionally ready to return, the most important next step is to make sure they are physically prepared. Teach them the importance of not sharing masks and make sure they know to wash their hands regularly, especially before meals. They have been safe at home for a long time so it is best to get this habit formed for at least 2 weeks before they return. Make sure they are adequately kitted out with all of the necessary school sanitation supplies as well, just to make sure they will be protected.
3. Healthy Lunches
My final piece of advice is to make sure you pack them a healthy lunch filled with immune-boosting snacks and yummy treats. The first week will be an adjustment period for them; they won’t be able to run to you if they’re feeling peckish so it’s your job to make sure you’ve packed enough to see them through the day. Kids can also be comfort eaters but if you’ve reassured them with the first 4 steps above then you will be fine and they will be great.
4. Emotional Preparation
Once your kids are mentally ready to return to school, the next step is helping to make sure they are emotionally ready. Key signs that they are not quite there or that they are having some form of internal struggle with this are tantrums and outbursts that are out of character. This is especially true for the younger kiddies who are probably used to have one or both of their parents at home with them, all day long.
5. Social Preparation
Our kids have been off for a long time, so long that I am genuinely concerned they will seem like they have been raised by wolves. Make sure your children are aware of how to behave in public and they are taught proper pandemic etiquette, that’s my plan anyway – avoid having my children run around like mad things at the first sign of freedom without mom supervision.
