Preparing Your Child for Their Return to School

School closures have presented a dilemma to both parents and their children, because months out of school may have set back children’s learning and development. In fact, the transition to home learning is a massive challenge to students since it must be adequately implemented by their schools as well as their parents, or it won’t be that effective at all.

That is why online tutors have flourished during these times since they have helped students cope with their schoolwork and other learning needs. Fortunately, this has alleviated the burden that was passed on to parents, and tutors have provided a better avenue for learning since they are also experienced and qualified teachers.

For parents, becoming teachers to their own children was hard, but letting them back into the world, where you can’t control the situation will be much harder. Eventually, children will be going back to school after months of isolation in their own homes. Therefore, it is essential for us as parents, to know the things we need to prepare for to ease our minds.

Re-establishing a school day routine
Most children sleep late over long breaks, and this is relatively true during the lockdown. So, parents should compensate by waking them a bit earlier each day, leading up to the back-to-school period. Adults are more resistant to altered routines, so they need to lead their children during this change.
Also, schedule change can trigger attention issues, so planning each part of the day can help your child keep his or her focus. Posting some detailed routine each morning can also keep the family on track with their daily activities.

Helping our child with anxiety
Another thing to consider is that the situation is NOT 100% back to normal, and even when the lockdown lifts completely, it might be a new normal for most countries around the world. This new normal or new way of doing things will definitely affect your children mentally and emotionally, and it could lead to anxiety.

Therefore, we must be more patient with our children, and we must reassure them that what they are feeling during the transition back to school is just OK. They may have a lot of things in their mind, listening to their concerns and acknowledging that what they are feeling is valid will greatly help them cope with their anxiety.

Keeping the lines of communication open with teachers
Communication with your child’s teachers is a significant factor during the lockdown, and it will make a difference to your child’s academic learning. You should also inform their teachers of any concerns you or your child may have. This will ensure that they will cope up with all the requirements they may have on their school’s online learning program.

Overall, the concerns that parents have during the lockdown is that their children may have fallen behind or may not be able to catch up quickly when they return to school. In reality, this Covid-19 pandemic is not something we’ve ever experienced, and the uncertainty is still very real. In the grand scheme of things, it is not really a big deal if they do fall behind.
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In fact, there are other alternatives available to us, like hiring a certified tutor who can help our child with their schoolwork as well as their homework. The most important thing during these times is to set our priorities, so health and happiness come first.