Parents deserve medals for juggling the multiple duties and worries they shared during COVID-19. However, it isn’t yet time to kick back and declare victory. Society continues to learn how to live with this novel coronavirus.
Perhaps few issues stir as much controversy as to when to send kids back to school. Returning to in-person learning poses risks, but so does remaining distant. Here are five considerations for parents sending kids back to school during COVID-19.
1. Communicate With Your District
The rules surrounding vaccine requirements and mask-wearing vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Many state governors have refused to extend mask mandates in schools, for example. In such cases, individual districts must determine whether they will enforce mask mandates inside buildings and school busses. Many have already stated they will not abide by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines by returning to such limits.
Mask requirements aren’t the only issue facing districts today. To align with CDC recommendations, districts should also group students into pods that keep them with their primary teacher all day instead of dispersing them around school grounds and various classrooms. They should reduce bus capacity to allow only one student per row and stagger the use of shared resources, like the library.
Bear in mind that administrators face pressures from all sides, including those who want a rapid return to normal, when setting the rules. Ultimately, each parent must decide what’s best for their families. The only way to know what your district intends for the fall is to reach out and go over their COVID-19 guidelines with them.
If you disagree with your district’s rules, you might need to seek alternative arrangements. Many states offer tuition-free online public schools. Please know your rights — you don’t have to return your child to in-person learning if they are medically fragile. If you suspect returning them to the classroom could damage their health, request distance learning resources from your home district.
2. Stock Up on Supplies
Get your wallet ready. You’ll once more need to invest in supplies other than notebooks and pencils. Please ensure your child has the hygiene supplies they need to stay safe.
Even if your district doesn’t have a mask mandate, you can advise your child to wear one. While they aren’t perfect, even DIY masks offer the wearer some protection against infection. You can save money with reusable cloth masks or pick up boxes of the disposable versions, although the former is more eco-friendly.
Handwashing remains the best way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, including the novel coronavirus. However, your kid doesn’t always have access to a sink. Please ensure they have plenty of hand sanitizer. You earn bonus kudos if you pick up a few mega-sized containers for general classroom use to give their teacher a break.
3. Create a Plan B and C
Right now, it appears as if the majority of authorities have determined that full-steam-ahead reopening is the best bet. However, you know the cliché about the best-laid plans of mice and men.
Start thinking of a plan B and C for your child’s education now to not get caught unawares like many parents were in the spring of 2020. Keep that list of online learning resources handy and perhaps decide on a distance learning school if lockdowns shut things down once more.
4. Give Your Child a Healthy Start
With authorities scrambling to reopen, the onus falls on individuals to keep society safe. If your child shows any symptoms of COVID-19, please follow CDC guidelines and quarantine them for the recommended time to avoid spreading the infection to others. Please don’t send them to school with a fever.
Take proactive measures to boost your child’s immune system. One of the best ways is by feeding them a healthy plant-based diet rich in antioxidants like vitamin C. Sufficient levels of certain nutrients can shorten a cold’s duration, but only if they exist in sufficient quantities at the onset of illness. Taking supplements later as an abortive remedy doesn’t work, so have your child eat their Cuties or drink their OJ every day.
5. Talk With Your Child Concerning Their Fears
Finally, please remember that your child isn’t a tiny living doll. Children have the full emotional range of adults, if not the capacity for regulating their feelings, and they might have valid fears about returning to school.
Please don’t invalidate your child by telling them there’s nothing to worry about or that they are overreacting by expressing concern. Even the world’s leading scientists don’t have all the answers about the novel coronavirus yet, and making insincere statements like, “Kids don’t get bad COVID” when some children do only confuse your little ones and teach them not to trust.
Instead, discuss their concerns with them, presenting science-based information to back your assertions. If the thought of returning to in-person learning throws your child into a panic attack, consider your ultimate goal. Do you want them to learn, or do you want to force them to obey your commands? If compromising on one more year of distance learning will help your child excel more than studying in fear, consider letting them continue to work from home.
On Sending Kids Back to School During COVID-19
Parents continue to have a tough job managing what’s best for their children during the pandemic. No matter what anyone says, it’s absolutely worth taking the time to think through how you want to handle your child’s return to school in the fall.
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This post is republished on Medium.
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