Now that kids are back to school, returning to in-person classrooms, how do we navigate this “new normal” with them to assure their success? We have all had to make a huge number of adjustments over the last year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the weight of these decisions and pivots has rested squarely on our adult shoulders, our children have felt that burden, too; perhaps, even more acutely than the adults around them. The types of pressures on school-aged children are compounded by their parents’ anxiety about how much they have “fallen behind” with distance learning, hybrid instructional models, quarantines, actual illness, technical issues, etc.
Photo courtesy of Avera Health
In this three-part blog, we’ll look at the main areas of focus for approaching back-to-school concerns in this era of the Coronavirus.
What can you do as a parent to make the back-to-school experience the best it can be for your children?
Part 1: Know your child and adapt accordingly
Assessing your child’s comfort level
Every child will react to the world around them differently. Some kids meet all sorts of challenges head-on, while others retreat far into themselves or make-believe. Some are somewhere in between. If you have an anxious child, it might not be readily apparent how they are feeling about returning to school; or, it could be very obvious that your child is nervous about going back into the classroom. You may have a student who cannot wait to have the social interaction the school setting provides, and is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. On the other hand, your child may be dreading the idea of navigating this return and all the rules, protocols, and circumstances that must be met for this to occur. Do your children take the bus? Is this piece what is provoking the most anxiety? Does your child struggle to keep their face mask over their nose?
Addressing your child’s concerns
Think about your children and identify what concerns them the most. Remember, this is about what they are worried about most, not you. If you have more than one child, it may be different things for each of them. Make sure you don’t apply a “one size fits all” approach. Talk through their concerns, work together to create a plan for how to deal with the issues. For example, ask your child what they think would make them feel better about what worries them, share positive ways you have coped with something similar, etc. Then, implement that plan as a team. You should make your child’s teacher aware of these concerns and include the teacher in the plan as part of your “team.” Keep the line of communication open, so if your child is struggling at any time in school, you will know and can help.
Focusing on your child’s best interests
Keep in mind that your child’s main job is to be a student who is ready to learn. That’s it. Your child shouldn’t have to worry about anything else but being the healthiest, happiest student possible. But, they also shouldn’t be expected to be perfect or completely consistent, now more than ever.
In Part 2, we’ll explore how parents can ease the worry around back-to-school issues.
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