Welcome Back To School: A Practical Guide To Ease Your Child's Return

A while ago I shared about my struggle working from home and homeschooling my children during the MCO period. It has been more than 3 months now since our Prime Minister announced the nationwide lockdown in March that has left many parents working overtime to stay afloat, juggling different responsibilities within the confinements of our homes. It feels almost surreal looking back. A New Dawn Now that schools are slowly opening their doors again and group by group, our children of different ages are allowed to return to learning corporately. Many parents are heaving a sigh of relief. At the same time, however, as long as we still do not have the vaccine against the invisible yet invasive virus, we will always be worrying for our little ones as we release them back to the world. Meanwhile, we can only pray and hope for the best, and of course, follow the SOPs set in place to keep us safe. Stay Safe, Stay Well Just as we adults would feel depressed being stuck at home for a prolonged period and cannot wait to resume our previously active and busy lives, our children, too are as eager to meet their friends and go places. They may not fully understand the sudden change of lifestyle previously and may be struggling within but not express it; now with the reopening of kindergartens and play-schools, suddenly they are “made” to go back again, understand that this may be a lot for them to process. With that in mind, let’s be more sensitive towards our children’s state of emotions and minds and walk closely with them through this transition. Here are some practical ways shared by The Children House to help kids cope and ease their anxiety as they resume their school-going routines. Talk To Your Child Photo Credit: Freepik Children pick up on adults’ emotions quickly, they can sense if we are anxious or worried and that may cause them to feel restless. Be candid and talk about going back to school with your child. Keep talking whenever possible so that the idea of going to school gets real in their mind. For younger children, try coming up with a back-to-school jingle to pump up their spirit! Revisit School Activities Photo Credit: Freepik Take your child down memory lane by scrolling through photos taken in school or during school events or by showing them the artworks they made in class – their first days in school, field trips to the dinosaur park, the popsicle sticks photo frame they made last year, the time they got all messy from their baking class with their teachers and friends, the little trophy they won on Sports Day... These will help them recall the good, fun times they had and keep them excited about going to school again. Routine Is Key Habits such as sleeping late, screen time throughout the day, and indulging in junk food would have to go and it is time to restart them on a healthy diet and routine. Turn back the clock and start them on a realistic bedtime; for younger children, a midday nap is still important to regulate their moods. If you have not been eating your meals according to a sensible timetable, then it is high time you do so. The lockdown period was a great time to throw out the normal practices and let loose a little; it is now time to get back on a reasonable routine. After all, children thrive better on a grounded daily routine. Positive Thoughts Seize every opportunity to instill positive thoughts in your child. Remind them of all the exciting and fun things they get to do once they return to school, but stay present with them and address their feelings. Let them speak their mind and break things down for them so they know how to manage their emotions and not get overwhelmed. Write A Note Photo Credit: Freepik Here is a fun way to connect with your child during your absence. Write a love note and get your child’s teacher to pass to your little one during break time. This will greatly encourage her to bravely trudge on and assure her that she will get to see you really soon! Keep this note-giving practice for a week or two to help ease the transition. Back-To-School Program Make the back-to-school occasion extra special by creating a Back-To-School Programme – according to your own creativity! Get your child to wake up early and change into his school uniform, for example. Prepare and share a yummy breakfast together before inviting him over to his seat in the classroom (that will be your living room, for now!), introduce the class teacher (your child’s father or older siblings, maybe?) and role play a school day scene with the little one! Make it fun, make it vibrant – imitate your child’s class routine as closely as possible to help them to get familiar again. Regular Updates Photo Credit: Freepik Understandably, not just our children are anxious about going back to school, we parents, too will feel the anxiety to be away from our child in a social climate such as this. Stay connected with your child’s school by receiving updates from the teachers’ choice of media. Communicate with the school to learn how you can stay in touch with them and what you can do to help with the transition. The success of a child’s education relies on both parents and school working hand-in-hand. Health Ambassador Photo Credit: Freepik Tune fun up a notch and “officially” appoint your child as a health ambassador! Have a talk with your child about the current pandemic facing us, the importance of keeping our hygiene, and ways to maintain cleanliness. Teach him the proper ways to wash his hands with soap and do not stop until he is done singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. Also, talk about social distancing and how he can talk to his friends without going too close. And when he successfully performs a task – such as washing his hands the right way, putting on a face mask correctly, etc., award him with a sticker or a sweet treat! Education really starts from home, with us. So get the ball rolling and create awareness in our children so that when they return to school, they can cope better. We Are In This Together The children's house® understands parents’ concerns and is working hard to put in place a set of precautionary measures to ensure that children get to learn in a safe and clean environment. From implementing an Enhanced Health Screening to regular sanitisation of the centres and ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and nutrition in their food preparation, parents can rest assured that their children are in safe hands. The children's house® is part of the Busy Bees Asia Group and the established Montessori-centred school currently has 13 locations and counting to serve the communities. To find out more, log on to The children's house® website today! https://youtu.be/nSt97ynh90I

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