It’s back to school season and whether opening fully or partially we can expect the return to the classroom to be a bit challenging. While some students enjoy online schooling others are excited to return to the classroom. My son Garrison is one of those who is ready to return to the classroom. Yes, he enjoyed online learning but he misses his teachers and classmates.
As a parent, like you, my concerns lie with how in-person schooling will look and how will my child adapt to new school procedures. Additionally, how teachers will keep up with classroom sanitizing/washing hands, social distancing, and keeping students tucked inside their masks. The “new normal” might be tricky to start, but it is possible to make going back to school safe and doable yet fun for children. So this post is going to provide some tips that will help your children safely return to the classroom.
Helping Children Safely Return To The Classroom
We understand and agree having children return to school won’t be easy. No matter how good a listener or obeyed your child is this environment is undoubtedly here to test and teach each one of us. Before the school begins, here are a few things that we as parents have to think and work upon.
Create cool face masks and face shields
Face masks have now taken the form of mandatory clothing in our lives and aren’t going to disappear any time soon. However, getting kids to wear masks regularly during school hours is a task in itself. So one of the things you can do is buy or create masks featuring their favorite cartoons, activities, or toys. Wearing these kinds of masks will get them excited to wear them in school and show their friends. You can buy a mask designed specifically for covering the mouth area or the ones with a face shield attached to them.
Teach Them To Keep Their Supplies To Themselves
“Sharing is caring” is not the “new normal.” Before COVID, we taught our children the policy of sharing is caring. But today, sharing your belongings could be sharing the virus. So for now, it’s important to teach our kids to use only what’s theirs and if something should end up missing they can either ask the teacher for a replacement or they can wait until they get back home for one.
Teach Them How To Thoroughly Wash Their Hands
Remind them daily that a thorough 15-second handwash throughout the day is key to getting rid of germs. Show them by example the proper way they should be washing their hands. We all know kids can be quick with it even pre-virus and we want to make sure they’re doing a thorough job. This will keep you at ease knowing they understand and will follow through outside of your presence.
Tell Them To Stand Back From Others
For adults, it’s easy for us to keep our distance from others but with children, it’s a little different. They naturally get close to one another. Help them kids understand they can’t be as close to their friends as they used to be. Keeping their distance will keep themselves, their friends, and others safe.
Get paper tissues or disinfectant wipes
Though most schools have prepared themselves with necessary supplies such as hand sanitizers and liquid soaps, we as parents still have to ensure our children carry their own. Get one-time use paper tissue to prevent drying their hands on one cloth or towel throughout the day. Securely placed single-use wipes in their bags are the best route to go as they must be thrown away once used preventing the lingering and spreading of germs.
Explain How The Virus Spreads and Why They Need To Be Cautious
Talk to your kids about how the virus spreads and its possible outcomes. Make sure you do not go too intense to scare them but make them understand all aspects as a way to help prepare them for returning to school. Reiterate why it’s important for them to follow the instructions at school and why it’s necessary to keep their masks on, wash their hands, and stand back from others.
Listen and Give Them Time To Adjust
The lockdown kept kids home for quite some time and as a result, some may have started to love it or be scared to step out. No matter how school resumes and life slowly returns to normal do not pressure your kids to jump back in. Give them time, ask, and answer their questions. Only send them out once they are mentally ready to handle it.
Additional Precautionary Tips:
Discuss and learn from your child’s school about the following policies:
- Attendance and Social distancing in Classrooms: Many schools have come up with the idea of calling 50% attendance every alternative day to maintain the required distance inside the classroom. Ask and confirm the school’s policies on how they will ensure children can safely return to the classroom.
- Health screening: Ensure the school is practicing thermal screening twice a day once during the arrival and once at the departure. Anyone, including students, teachers, and other staff with a raised temperature, must not be allowed inside the premises.
- Home Quarantine: In case of anyone with symptoms on the school premises, school administrators should immediately ask them to home quarantine themselves. This formula should also be implemented on everyone who came in close contact with that individual.
- Sanitization: Learn from the school how frequently they perform sanitization of the entire premise. For higher safety concerns, daily sanitization of furniture, cafeterias, washrooms, doorknobs, labs, and computer rooms must be performed.
- Transportation: Learn how many passengers are encouraged by the school administrators on their buses and vans. A safe way is to cut down 50% of the rush and so that only one student in a row can safely travel daily. Disinfestation of the armrest handles and doorknobs every seven to eight hours should be a must.
If your children will be present in school, in what ways will you help your children safely return to the classroom? Share with me in the comments below. You should also check back next week as I will be sharing homeschooling tips for those who will be doing remote learning.
Latest posts by Maria Antoinette (see all)
- 10 Romantic Date Night Ideas For Any Time of The Year - January 26, 2023
- Tips To Help You Reconnect With What Brings You Joy - January 19, 2023
- Planning A Road Trip? Here Are Some Key Tips You Should Know - January 12, 2023
