As more and more people are getting vaccinated and Covid cases drop there are localities that are preparing to send students back into the classroom. This is definitely a good thing as distance learning has proven to be less than effective compared to going to school in person.
This doesn’t mean that things are going back to normal, exactly. There are likely to be limits to how many students can be in a class and surely there will be student desk shields to block droplets.
There are going to be some challenges when preparing to get back to normal so it is best to be prepared for them. In this article, I will go over several of the ways that you can get your child ready for in person classes.
Create a new routine
Think back to how difficult it was at the beginning of the quarantine when you were thrown into stay at home orders. The most difficult part was that there was no time to settle into a new routine.
This time around the results could be the same even though it’s the opposite. You have a set routine that revolves around home and now will have to switch to the school routine. It’s very similar to the end of summer but not quite as dramatic as during summer there is no structure at all usually.
Ask a teacher what the schedule is going to be like as far as classes, when they eat lunch and even what the homework will be like. This way you can at least try to get into the routine ahead of time.
Stay safe
There are going to be a lot of safety measures that the school imposes to keep children safe. And surely they will let everybody know ahead of time what the measures will be. However, it is a good idea to go over a lot of these measures with your child ahead of time so they understand what they need to do.
With young children, it is difficult to get them used to the idea that they have to stay apart from their friends that they were used to hugging and playing with in close quarters. Prepare them for the fact that they will likely have to keep their distance from their friends and teachers.
Give them the things they will need during the day to stay safe like hand sanitizer and extra masks to change out of regularly. Practice doing things from home like changing a mask themself and washing hands throughout the day.
Keep realistic expectations
Your children certainly will have experienced a bit of Covid slide meaning that they are not at the level of education that would normally be expected for their age. Remember that their peers are in the same boat so don’t expect to see stellar grades for a while.
There will also likely be some behavioral issues at first as they adjust. Don’t panic but make sure that you are talking to your child about their feelings and anxieties so they understand that you are there to help. Seek out professional help if you think there are larger issues.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the managing director of Psychreg.
