How to Help Kids Cope with School Closings During Covid-19
A year ago, there wasn’t a care in the world about COVID-19. In fact, we didn’t even know what it was. Since the initial lockdown and demand for social distancing four months ago, schools have closed, sporting events have been canceled and special occasions have been postponed all for the sake of social distancing and the importance of stopping the spread of the deadly virus.
Although the precautionary measures our communities have taken are meant to stop the spread of the new coronavirus and to protect the community, the notifications of your child’s school closing and the end to sporting events may have hit them harder than you think.
Children thrive on schedules, social experiences, and a solid routine. Predictability in their day helps them feel safe and secure. These are all things that our children have lost since the pandemic hit.
For the sake of your child’s mental health and security, it’s important to create an environment that allows them to feel safe as much as possible. How? With a good routine and predictability in each day.
Here are some tips on how to handle homeschooling after a school closure:
- Create a safe and quiet learning environment.
- Keep your child on a learning and break schedule.
- Make sure each parent understands the curriculum.
- Be sure to give your child the learning tools he/she needs.
Parents too are finding this time uncertain and it’s hard to go through what we are feeling yet stay on top of the game with our children’s homeschooling needs at the same time. This is especially true for us parents who aren’t educators by profession. There are many trustworthy sites online that offer support to families and caretakers. Try to do some research and apply what works best for your family’s needs.
Here are a few ways parents can gain confidence and support their children during a pandemic such as COVID-19.
- Don’t allow the kids to watch the news on a daily basis.
- Have frequent family talks and answer their questions to the best of your ability.
- Acknowledge their feelings.
- Remind them that they are loved on a daily basis.
- Schedule fun, family time weekly such as a Friday night movie night or family game night.
- Schedule video calls with friends, educators, and grandparents on the regular.
- Empower them by modeling behavior.
A pandemic can hit at any time. We’ve learned that unfortunately. But, parenting with love and education will help your kids feel safe and secure based on your leadership, love, and strength.
