The coronavirus epidemic has caused great disruptions in daily life for over a year, and our children, like everyone else, have felt and continue to feel this difficult process deeply. Especially with the transfer of educational activities to online platforms, our children faced a situation where they went to school online. Although they have adapted very quickly to this new world and education system, it is a known fact that nothing can replace education and training activities face to face. For this reason, we need to take the necessary measures as soon as possible and return life to normal for our children. At the end of the summer, I hope all our schools will open their doors to our students.
Well, how will our students, who have been different from their schools, teachers, friends and social environments for so long, manage the process? What should we do for them in this bet so that we can make their anxiety and excitement controllable?
Don’t expect everything to change overnight
First of all, we should all continue to take Covid security measures without increasing the fear levels in our children . We should make sure that these rules are applied adequately in the schools they will return to, and we should learn by consulting the school administrations at what level and how the Covid-19 measures are applied.
After learning about the school’s security measures, they should be reviewed and explained to the child in order to avoid surprises when he starts school. If you have high-risk family members that you care about, we should explain what this means for your child and any extra precautions it may require compared to what their friends might need to do.
Let’s talk to them about our concerns; Allow them to share about their worries, excitements and worries in a with all family members. Provide them with a safe space to develop awareness of their own feelings and share their thoughts, so they will both learn to share ideas and not hoard their anxieties.
Try to regulate sleeping and eating habits; During the pandemic process, these orders have been lost in our children, as in all of us. In particular, the habits of our children, who spend a lot of time in front of the computer and screen, have completely changed. During the return to school process, try to plan sleep and meal times at least two weeks before the school routine hours.
Let’s create an opportunity for our children who have been away from their friends for a long time to meet with their friends before school, even if it is for a short time. Even if we do not have a face-to-face opportunity, let’s prepare for the process by communicating with families and planning environments where we can chat with images.
Contact school counselors; Definitely ask for the informative letters of the schools prepared for you.
Do not expect everything to change overnight, although it may seem short, there is a long and difficult process going on in our children’s world. Being aware of this, approach situations knowing that our child cannot return to all routines at once.
And most importantly, we can all tend to resist this unfamiliar way of life. Do not let go of your patient, cool and tolerant attitude.
If your child’s reflections seem different – perhaps more acute than usual or overreacting to seemingly minor tensions – the most decent thing you can do is to treat your child with compassion, warmth and calmness rather than react negatively.
