Back to School Adventures: Ready Or Not Here We Come
Posted: August 25, 2020
Alright, momma’s - let's do this
I'm just going to be real here, no one knows what the next week, month or year will even look like.
So, we're going to have to be a little flexible. There are so many things going on right now totally out of our control. If we are feeling like this imagine what the kids are feeling?
The best thing we can do is focus on what we can control.
Kids Lose Things
Kids lose things all the time. I can't even begin to explain how many things my kids have “misplaced” or “purposely” lost over the years ;) It's only a matter of time until they leave their mask at home, cafeteria or park.
Purchasing a few extra masks for them to keep in their backpack and locker certainly can't hurt. Bonus points if the mask matches their outfit!
It’s always a good idea to give the teacher some reusable ones to put away (like boxes of kleenex). Then when they can’t open their locker or leave their knapsack at home you got it covered :)
Educate Your Child On Proper Social Distancing
If your children are quite young, they may not totally grasp what social distancing means and why it's important.
Out of habit, your child may be used to running up to their friends and giving them big hugs every day.
You'll have to sit down with them and explain why that can't happen this year.
They can 100% still play with their pals, it'll just have to be done in a slightly different way.
Make Wearing A Mask Fun
If you've made it this far, you're probably wondering when I'll be touching base on children who struggle with masks. 😷
It's not uncommon for younger children to take off their masks without even thinking about it.
A great idea is to make it a game - like a superpower game for example!
Every morning before school when they put on their mask, they can pretend it gives them a new superpower! This will make them that much more excited to put it on and keep it on.
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Special Needs Families
If you have special needs children, talk with your school about expectations. Maybe you could buy your own plexiglass shield for their desks. Send in their own device that only they use, make a special bag that everything they need is in and refill it every night, make sure to add a note letting them know you see how hard they are working!
Maybe they will accept a face shield instead? Maybe mask breaks need to be set up so your child knows how long they need to have it on. Ask the teacher to have some kind of a signal made with your child so they can tell the teacher they need a mask break without interrupting the class.
Make a desktop reminder and laminate it for your child, reminding them about masks and hand washing procedures. Most importantly let the school know your ideas!! After all you know your children best!!
Check Out Your School’s Website
The schools are posting how things will run in each school now. Bathrooms will only allow a certain amount of children at a time. Hallways will be one way only and you will come in one entrance and go out another. New touchless water fountains and hand towel equipment will be installed. Some schools will have plexiglass dividers for each desk, others won’t.
Some options will change for instance, wind instruments will not be allowed, but will be replaced with a different instrument other options won’t be available.
Help your kids to already be familiar with what is happening in their school before they go, it will help to decrease anxiety and panic. It will also hopefully help them to not be disappointed in how things are going to be.
Explain how the buses will work or how you will be dropping off and picking up. Having all this information will help your little ones (and big ones) to feel more comfortable.
Make A Back-Up Plan
Make sure that they know what will happen if a Covid outbreak happens or they feel sick, what the school’s going to do and where the children will go if it happens (ex. If Mom can’t get you, Grandma/Friend’s Mom/Dad will pick you up and take you home.) Make a safe word so the kids know who is okay to go with, don’t forget to tell it to who is picking them up though ;)
Give them a solid plan and go over it several times, this will help them not panic if this happens which it is bound to do at some point this year!
Dealing With Stress
The unknown can often be scary. Again, none of us know for sure what this school year has in store. The first few weeks or even months may take some time to get used to for us and the school.
Remember, your child is strong and so are you. You’ve got this!!
Have a family meeting and make a plan, help your child to understand what to expect so the stress is decreased! We all know that likely there will be many more things to deal with coming our way ;)
Have questions? Ideas to share? I’d love to hear what you are thinking!
