Once the lockdown gets over, schools will also start reopening. Children will again add life to the school premises and enjoy getting out of the house after so long. But, sending kids back to school will bring a lot of anxiety for you as parents. You take extra care at home to protect your kid from infection, but what about the school hours? Such thoughts are already making you anxious about sending your child back to school. It is natural as you love your child more than anything. Even the school authorities’ promise to follow the best precautions won’t ease your anxiety.
But, if you prepare your child to ensure their back to school safety, things will become a little easier. Your kid will know how to avoid infection, and you’ll feel a little relaxed.
Here are seven tips to prepare your child for back to school safety after lockdown.
1. Present a Clear Picture of the Situation
Awareness is the first precaution against the pandemic. Ensure that your child is well aware, and they can use reason and logic to ensure safety under all circumstances. For example, if your child knows that Covid-19 can thrive on any surface, they’ll sanitize their hands after touching every external surface. First of all, you have to present a clear picture of the situation to your child. Although they may already know the basics, you need to throw light on the details. For instance, when discussing the required precautions, explain why they are essential.
2. Create a Chart of Safety Precautions and Read It with Your Kids Everyday
To make your kid memorize the safety precautions, create a chart. It should list all the safety precautions to be taken. It is best if you invite your child to help you with the creation of the table. It will make your child feel connected to it. Try to make the chart as colorful, vibrant, and beautiful as possible. After completing the chart, paste it at a place where it is visible to your child throughout the day. The moment they come across the table, they will recall the precautions. Moreover, you should make it a daily ritual to read the chart along with your child. By doing so, you’ll help them memorize each safety precaution by heart.
3. Exemplify Proper Precautionary Measures
Along with making your child memorize the safety precautions, it is crucial to exemplify them too. This is because your actions influence your child more than your words. So, you should exemplify the different safety precautions to them daily. For example, you can take them for a fun hand wash time together. While washing hands illustrates the proper handwashing technique. Show them how to wash hands thoroughly by rubbing between fingers, top of nails, etc. Along with this, you should also exemplify social distancing and other safety precautions like regular hand sanitizing. When you interact with an outsider like a grocery vendor, show your child the safe distance. This way, you can guide them to follow the critical practice of social distancing.
4. Test Their Knowledge of Precautionary Measures
Testing your child’s knowledge of precautionary measures is very important. You have to check whether they can follow the right safety measures according to situations. For this, you can give them some cases every day and ask them what they will do. For example, you can ask them about the precautions they will take while using the school washroom. You can also ask them about things they will do if they have to adjust their face mask? Their answers to such questions will give you an idea of how prepared they are. Further, you can also teach them the points they’re missing during the testing sessions.
5. Play Corona Safety-Oriented Games
Gaming is one of the best ways to help kids learn. They understand and remember things better if they learn them while having fun. So, you can improve your child to learn more about safety precautions by playing corona safety-oriented games. For example, you can gather all family members and play the best corona warrior game. To play this game, you have to create some chits containing COVID related questions. What will you do after touching an outside surface is one example of such problems. Then, you have to put the chits in a bowl and make each player choose one chit. After this, the players have to answer their particular questions. One person has to record the scores. Then again, ask them to select new chits and repeat the process. The one who answers the maximum number of questions right wins the game.
6. Hand Them a List of Don’t and Read It Along the Way
For kids, back to school means meeting friends, sharing lunch, and playing together. But, it is crucial to avoid such things during the pandemic. So, you should help your child learn things which they should avoid doing. For this, you can hand them a list of don’ts and read it along with them every day. This way, they will quickly memorize the things they should avoid. Shaking hands with friends, hugging them, and sharing lunch are some of them. Although they may find it hard to resist playing with friends, you can make it easy for them by presenting alternatives. For example, you can tell them about games which they can play with friends from a safe distance. Atlas, Bingo, and Pictionary are some of them.
7. Conduct Rehearsals Daily For at Least Three Days Before School Reopens
To help your child adapt to the new normal, they have to follow, and you should conduct rehearsals at home. The repetitions should begin at least three days before the school reopens. During the rehearsals, you have to make your child wear a mask and study as if they are in school. Not only this, but you also have to make them follow all the safety precautions which they will follow in school. You may continue the rehearsals for an hour or two. It will help your child get comfortable with wearing a mask and following other safety precautions.
This is how you can prepare your child for getting back to school, safely after lockdown.
