This year, the return to school requires preparation for a different school year than usual.
The pandemic requires new precautions and new rules that must be explained to children so that they can cope with Covid-19 in the best possible way.
It’s very important to meet the needs of the little ones, who don’t understand why there’s such a drastic change in the way they learn, play and interact with their friends.
It’s important to be on the lookout for behavioral changes in children that may indicate levels of stress and anxiety.
The aim is always to help reassure them and respond to any worries and fears with clear, age-appropriate information.
Here are some tips to prepare your children for the return to school during the pandemic:
– It is important that the child understands the importance of protective measures and knows how to reduce the risk of infection with Covid-19.
Provide clear information, always using language adapted to the child’s age to ensure they understand.
– In a reassuring way, inform the child about the new school environment.
It’s important to prepare them for the new playground and classroom rules.
If they know what to expect and have been informed about the change in a reassuring way, they won’t be so surprised and it will be easier for them to adapt.
– It is important that there is still time to play.
While always respecting the rules of social distancing, create opportunities for your child to have fun and relax.
– Manage expectations for the future and inform the child about what might happen if, for example, there is an outbreak of Covid-19 at school or if a relative and/or the child themselves start to feel unwell.
You can explain that the Covid-19 test is something that doctors need to do to know if the person is healthy and that going to hospital for a while may be a necessity in order to receive help from the doctors.
Finally, it’s important to keep children close to their families and give them the love and attention they need.
As an adult, try to be informed and follow the recommendations of the Directorate-General for Health, so that you can be an example to your child and better help them understand the new context in which we live.
