How do you prepare your kids to return to school during COVID-19? Tips from doctors
As the coronavirus continues to upend daily life, school districts are weighing learning options for the upcoming school year.
With the start of the fall semester on the horizon, doctors say there are steps parents can take to help prepare kids to get back to in-person or virtual classes during the coronavirus pandemic.
Getting ready for the school year
For parents expecting their children to take online classes, health professionals suggest considering child care options, according to Franciscan Health in Indiana.
Even if families don’t know whether their school districts will reopen, doctors say they can still plan ahead. It’s a good idea for parents to teach kids about social distancing and other ways to protect themselves from getting COVID-19 if they do head back to school in the fall, according to the hospital system.
“You should purchase masks early and have the kids wear them around the house for increasingly longer periods to get them used to the concept,” Dr. Timothy Snyder said on the Franciscan Health website. “You also should review good handwashing technique – sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice while washing hands.”
It’s also time for kids to keep up to date on vaccinations, Dr. John O’Reilly, pediatrics chief at Baystate Medical Center in Massachusetts, told Masslive.com. Health officials have been concerned that children won’t get regular shots during the pandemic, possibly leading to outbreaks of other diseases, McClatchy News previously reported.
Taking to students
If possible, professionals urge parents to give their children a sense of what to anticipate in the fall. It’s important to share details about scheduling and be prepared to answer questions, WITN reported Monday.
“If we’re giving them some certainty and they know what to expect as much as possible, we’re going to help reduce some of their stress and anxiety because kids thrive on certainty and stability,” Dana Cronkhite, account manager at Brynn Marr Hospital in North Carolina, told the TV station.
Parents also should ask kids their own thoughts about returning to school amid potential changes, health professionals say.
“Do a gut check about how you are feeling about it yourself first of all, because kids can pick up on our own feelings, and it’s important to try to maintain a sense of calm regardless of how anxious you might be about it,” clinical psychologist David Gutterman of North Carolina’s Cone Health said in aninterview with WFMY.
If children are nervous about going back to school, parents should be as honest as possible, UNICEF says. Families should explain which measures are in place to help protect kids from COVID-19, according to the group.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 11:03 AM with the headline "How do you prepare your kids to return to school during COVID-19? Tips from doctors."
