As a parent, what is your greatest worry about your kid amid the Covid-19 pandemic? For most parents, they want to ensure the kids are as safe as possible. It’s more worrying to think; how secure are they around their age mates?
Moreover, is schooling safe with the teachers and the kids coming from different parts of the country? Some regions have more cases than others. Therefore, this article will enlighten you on keeping your kids safe in school during the pandemic.
Lay Emphasis on the Everyday Precautions
From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most if not all parents have been telling their kids about the disease. You have probably told them about all the indications of COVID-19 and how to be safe.
However, you have seen them stand too close to other people. They forget their mask in the car or at the house. Often, they fail to wash their hands after being in contact with high-touch surfaces, and they frequently touch their face.
As the kids go to school, ensure that you emphasize safety protocols. The following are some of the protocols:
- Social distancing: keeping a safe distance while interacting with fellow kids. When you speak, breathe, or cough, you release tiny breathing droplets into the atmosphere around you. These droplets are infectious with COVID-19 if the person is infected. Also, remind the kids not to share things like drinks, foods, etcetera with their friends.
- Put on a mask: A mask helps contain the droplets you release when you cough or breath. The places where social distancing is a challenge, or if you don’t know whether the person next to you is sick, a mask will do the trick.
- Wash your hands: your kids will come into contact with potentially infected surfaces. Encourage your kids to wash hands with soap regularly. If not possible, provide an alcohol-based hand-rub.
Know and Follow up the Safety Measures Implemented at School
Different schools have engaged measures to keep your child safe. However, kids learn best in a classroom due to various reasons. Hence, it’s vital to consider that your kid needs to read in a classroom setting.
Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure your child follows the set guidelines of safety at school. But the school should tell and convince you the safety followed within the premises by answering your questions like;
What has it done in the buses, cafeteria, hallways, classes, etcetera to ensure social distancing? Are the teachers ready to keep themselves and the kids safe? How is the sharing of equipment minimized? Cleaning of high-touch surfaces. What is the school doing about sports and other activities?
The Concern of Your Child
It’s vital to listen to the raised concern by the child. Significant school hazards come because parents and teachers overlook the child’s anxiety.
The best parent or teacher is the one that is both sources of information and confidante to their children or pupil. Let the child share any anxiety they have while returning to school during the pandemic.
Issues like whether they will put on musk the whole day, if any one of their friends becomes sick, etcetera will rise. Reassure them after listening to them keenly.
A Wellness Physical Exam with Your Family Doctor
Somethings remain crucial with or without the pandemic. Even though the pandemic has changed how we do most things, checking your child’s overall wellness outstands.
For your child’s safety, take them for an exam with the doctor, especially now that COVID-19 has taken root. You can look for a physician who focuses on family medicine and pediatrics.
Parental Instincts
There are those ‘firsts’ of your child that terrify every parent. For example, when you sleep away from your baby the first time, the first sleepover, or driving the first time.
However, no parent was ready to take their child to school during a pandemic. Just as you trusted your parental instincts in all the other ‘firsts,’ trust them this time too. You can choose that they take virtual classes throughout the term. However, due to the importance of classroom learning, you can decide to trust the school and your child as you know them.
Prepare in Case Your Kid is Infected
In-person learning at school has the highest risk of COVID-19 infection. In case your kids get sick, it’s safe to develop a plan to keep the family members safe. Be keen to know how the school will respond? Program as a parent for quarantine.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, planning and preparation are vital in matters of safety. Remember that your child is your responsibility before it is anyone else’s. Therefore, ensure that your child comprehends the problem at hand and understand the precautions to follow.
Finally, be concerned about your child and pay attention to their grief. The school should be in check too.