After months of COVID-19, students are returning to school in Victoria, New South Wales, and ACT. The return to school will be a positive experience for many. Some may require extra emotional and practical support to make the transition to get back to school after lockdown.
Separation anxiety can be a problem for some children. Some children may worry about getting COVID-19 on the playground or reconnecting with their friends.
The Impact of Disruptions on Education to Our Children
Another widespread concern is the disruption of education. Even after schools reopened, many children were forced to spend long periods alone. In the week beginning 12th July, almost a quarter (25%) of secondary school students were absent. The majority of these absences were due to COVID.
We don’t yet know the exact system that will be in place when children return to school.
You may be wondering how you can support your child as they go back to school. Here are some tips to help.
Tips for Parents to Help Kids Adjust to School After Lockdown
1. Renegotiate routines
Children and teens may have developed different routines than adults during a lockdown. They may have become used to spending more time on screens than usual.
It is important to make small adjustments to ease the transition into a school routine. For example, getting up and going down at a consistent time will help. Negotiating new routines can help parents support their children’s autonomy. Parents who explain and listen to teens’ concerns are less likely to encounter resistance from teens when they restrict their screen time.
2. Give yourself time to adjust
The return to school can bring with it a lot of emotions, including excitement, anxiety, and fatigue. After the first few days of school, some children may appear to be particularly tired. Others may become more sensitive or less tolerant.
Do not be alarmed if you notice that your child is more emotional at home than in school. This means they are feeling safe at home. Encourage children to identify any negative emotions, like frustration, and gently encourage them to find other ways to express themselves.
Don’t worry about the little things.
3. Recognize children’s concerns
Children and teenagers may be concerned about COVID-19 changing friends or returning to school. Separation anxiety can also affect younger children who have been isolated from their families for a long time.
It is helpful to give your child simple, factual information on COVID-19 and to gently remind them that adults are there to keep them healthy. Adopt a solution-oriented approach. Help children focus on things they can control rather than worrying over things outside of their control.
It is important to validate and acknowledge your child’s concerns, regardless of what caused them. You can let your child know that they are not alone in their feelings and that it is understandable. Keeping calm and focusing their attention on the positive aspects can also help ease some of the children’s concerns.
4. Coach Empathy
Children and teenagers may have felt differently about returning to school after a lockdown. Your child can be a better friend if they understand that other kids may feel differently.
Remind children before returning to school that some friends may feel more nervous than others about returning. Some children in primary school may also choose to wear masks differently.
Encourage your child to reach out to those who are not in their ‘friendship bubble.’ Empathy and recognizing how others feel will help your child develop socially. It is also a crucial socio-emotional ability.
5. Be optimistic
Most children can adapt well to new situations. To help children and teenagers look forward to school, parents can ask them to recall what they enjoyed most about it. This can be helped by reminiscing funny stories and enjoyable school events.
You should still acknowledge the feelings of your child if he or she expresses a preference to learn at home. It may be helpful to discuss these concerns with the teacher. Your approach must reflect optimism and confidence. If you can, avoid bringing up your concerns: parental anxiety is contagious.
Educate your child about COVID-19.
Children, just like adults, have been greatly affected by the pandemic, either directly or inadvertently. The children have also collected a great deal of information on the condition, mainly from reliable sources. They are tthereexperiencing considerable stress and anxiety when they think about returning to school. Many are unsure and afraid to return to public areas due to misconceptions about this condition. As they prepare to go back to school, educating the child on COVID-19 basics will help boost their confidence. Teach your child, for example, about the symptoms, severity, and risk of the disease, as well as how to treat and prevent it. Find out what your child knows about the disease and correct any misconceptions.
Transition on returning to school
Even in ‘normal’ circumstances, one of the main concerns for early years providers is how to support children as they transition from home into the early years setting or from PVI into a school-based setting. The way that settings deal with this aspect of work varies.
Our policy in our preschool is that parents are allowed to “stay and play” as long as they like. Some parents like to drop and go, but we have found that many parents enjoy taking their time.
Some early years settings require parents to “drop and go” right at the beginning, either because it is the most appropriate way to approach the situation or because they don’t have enough space to accommodate parents. Transitions are handled professionally,y and there is no “right” or “wrong” way.
Settling Your Children Back In
In these times of unusual circumstances, the ability of parents to “stay and play” is going to be restricted. To allow parents to remain to settle their children, you could cordon off a space outside where they can play with their children. The child will eventually be ready to leave and play with other children.
Even children who are difficult to separate from their parents will settle down quickly after the parents have left. You can reassure your parents that you will always contact them if their child does not settle down quickly.
Children are often influenced by the emotional condition of their parents. If your parents feel anxious when returning to work or school, some children may also become anxious. Give parents as much information about your method of teaching to ease their fears.
Talk to your kids about how they feel going back to school.
Some children are not ready to learn after a long absence from school. COVID-19 has hurt some children, including deaths, illnesses, or job losses in their families or neighbourhoods. They are still trying to make sense of what happened. Understanding your child’s feelings and concerns and their expectations can help you to assist them in a smooth transition back to school. Asking questions or encouraging your child to express their feelings through art can help you understand what they are feeling. If you see that a child has a mental disorder or is traumatized by the pandemic, consult a professional.
You may want to ask your child the following questions:
- Are you looking forward to returning to school?
- Do you miss your old schoolmates?
- Do you want to meet your favourite teachers again?
- Miss playing your favourite games?
- Do you fear that you may contract the Coronavirus?
Talking with your child can help to ease their fears and trigger memories of school. This will help you better understand how your child feels about going back to school. You’ll know how your child feels when he or she leaves the comforts of home and returns to school with its strict schedule. You can then comfort and encourage them based on the information you have gathered. You can help your child understand the measures taken by the school administration to ensure the safety of children. Reassure your child that they can still play and have fun, even though there may be some changes. Include their friends and teachers in the conversation for more reassurance.
Conclusion
We can all do a lot to help our children return to school after a lockdown. The most important thing is that they know they’re loved without condition. We tend to assume that our children know this all the time. It’s not uncommon for them to forget this or be unsure. They’ll be reminded every day by showing them and telling them.
