Preparing Kids for School Reopenings

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the opening of schools was canceled or suspended. But after a year of going through it and fighting against it, there are announcements regarding school reopenings. 

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For parents who are worried about their kids going to school again after a while, here are some tips to help you how to prepare kids:

Providing children with routine and structure

The first thing on how to prepare kids for school reopening and attending classes face-to-face again is giving them routine and structure. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of things changed. 

That cannot be very pleasant to kids and can confuse them. To resolve this, make sure that they have a routine, they know the house rules, and that you communicate all of this with them. 

Examples of routines are waking them up at their usual school time, eating breakfast, and brushing their teeth. 

Preparing your children for change

With school reopening, what your children are returning to will probably not look like the one they had left before the coronavirus pandemic happened. 

One way how to prepare kids for this change is to prepare them for what they are about to see and feel. Be sure to let them know that there will be masks. 

There will also be a distance between their friends and other people in school, dividers, and different lunchtime and recess than their previous one. 

The more they know about what they could expect, the better. 

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Reassuring them

School reopening may bring anxiety and stress to your kids. How to prepare kids with this is by reassuring them. 

If your kids are worried about getting sick at school, tell them that the school has been carefully sanitized. 

You can also tell them that whenever they need you, you are always available and will never be busy for them. 

Do not pretend that there aren't worries

Although you are assuring your children that going back to school because of school reopening will be okay, do not pretend that there won't be any worries. 

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of things change. How to prepare kids for this is by making sure that their children are fully aware that going back to school does not mean that everything is going back to normal. 

Also, do not assume that your children do not have worries. Although they are young, it does not mean that they are free from the coronavirus pandemic's stress and anxiety. 

Listen to their concerns, talk to them, and help them to problem-solve. 

Help them work on their social muscles

This coronavirus pandemic affected kids who have missed out on social interactions. So, it is essential that as parents, you try to get your kids together with friends in safe ways as much as possible. 

That will be their practice for socialization once they return to school again. In this way, it will be easier for them. 

Inviting laughter

Laughter is called a happy hormone because it decreases stress and feelings of anxiety. As your kids are preparing to go back to school, playing games with your kids that will get them giggling might help. 

The point of this is to heal those feelings inside them of being worried to let you go again, now that they will have to do without you when they go to school. 

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