Preparing Your Children For the New School Year With The COVID-19 Situation

The coming school year will be unlike any new school year that kids — or parents — have ever faced. Schools in Georgia will be reopening for the new year come fall, but counties are doing it their own way. In-person instruction, virtual learning, and a combination of these are the possibilities.

The prospect of a new school year is exciting and anxiety-inducing for children as it is. But this year will have the added anxiety of being the first school year since the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world.

As a parent, you must be prepared for whatever protocol is to be followed. No matter what it is, it’s going to be different for your kids for sure. Here’s what you can do to prepare your child for getting back to school this fall.

Establish New Routines

Start getting them into the rhythms of the school day at least a week in advance of the reopening.

This will be especially pertinent for children who will be doing distance learning. It will be very important for them to mentally separate time allotted for learning and school work from regular home time. Many kids will just not be used to attending classes without the direct supervision of their teachers, especially when all the comforts of home are right at hand.

Involve your children and make the process positive. Discuss with them the issue of homework, and establish when would be the best time for them to study. Help them set up their virtual-learning area. Activities like these will help kids prepare mentally for the coming school year.

Just remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for this. Be flexible and patient with your kids while they figure it out.

Limit Technology After Certain Hours

Phones, tablet, PCs, and gaming devices are always a ready distraction. Since kids will need to get back into the flow of school time, start limiting their use of technology after certain hours.

This will help them be rested and mentally ready for school the next day. Also, it will help them get reacquainted to the practice of focusing and not relying on the constant instant gratification of their devices that they have enjoyed over the summer break.

You set the pace. But start slow, and gradually keep winding down. It’s better not to start with a sudden and strict cutoff. Make the process easy for them.

Make Sure They Understand The Need For Safety

Only very young children would be unaware or not understand the gravity of the COVID-19 situation by now. But no matter what age your kids are, start strongly reinforcing personal safety protocols. It may sound like repetition, but it is very important to emphasize their importance.

Encourage them to wash their hands often and be wary of touching their face. They should carry a mask at all times. Implore them to tell a teacher if they feel anything like a symptom of the flu.

These are good practices for all children, and not just those who will be attending school in-person. With the country testing the waters with reopening, this is a good opportunity to reinforce these practices with your kids.

Address Their Feelings

Things are going to be different. Class sizes might be reduced to allow for social distancing and certain activities might be restricted. Even seemingly simple things, like the sight of everyone wearing masks, will be a major departure from normality.

Change can often be difficult for a child.Help them navigate these changes. Have open and honest discussions with them, understand how they feel about this situation and its implications. Remember that adolescents will have the added burdens of puberty to deal with. Really listen to them instead of just offering your own opinions. Talking to them can do a great deal to put them at ease.
Participate In Safe Back-to-School Activities

Check whether your child’s school organizes virtual get-togethers. A lot of anxiety can be assuaged by meeting their new teacher, having a look at their classroom, and maybe even getting to know some of the other kids.

If such get-togethers are not an option, you can always help your child review their school’s website for information and pictures.

For Those Starting A New School

Your kids are probably already talking to their friends about starting school again. But if your child is joining a new school at this time, then it’s important to take extra care to make them as comfortable as possible.

Give a little more time for transition talk to address their back-to-school worries. You and your child could look for pictures of the school online, or on their official social media account if the school has one. Reassurance is the key.

Make Back-to-school Fun

Don’t lose out on the fun element of getting back to school. One of the activities that kids love most at this time of year is picking out their new school supplies and new clothes, and needn’t be missed. Help them plan what kind of things they would like to take for lunch. And remember, always keep up the positivity!

Learning Is Still The Priority

Make sure this is not lost on your children. The reason that schools are reopening in spite of the current situation is because of the importance of their education. Classwork, homework, and study are the priority. Help your children come back to this mind-state, and to maintain it throughout the school year.

It’s going to be a challenging time for children and parents. The school districts are doing their best, but it is up to everyone to stay vigilant. The most important thing to remember is to keep an open dialogue with your children, actively listen, and keep giving them positive reinforcement.
How Georgia Test Prep Can Help

It’s going to be difficult for children to adjust to the new modes of learning in this very novel time. And although the State of Georgia will not be having standardized tests like Georgia Milestones this year, Georgia Test Prep can still help. Repetition and practice is the key to establishing a good foundation. With Georgia Test Prep, children can practice GSE questions based on their math and language curriculum online and from the comfort and safety of their home, giving them an edge in their schoolwork.

Access the web app for less than 10 cents per day, Register Now!!

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How to strengthen parent-child communication-relationship?

Parenting is a tough job in and by itself. There is a long list of decisions that a parent has to make, never really knowing if the choice that they made is the going to be the right one.  From ensuring that their kids get healthy food to eat, good friends to play with, a good education, the right career path, developing critical thinking skills, and so much more; parents need to think about everything. 

Many might agree that there has always been a generational gap between parents & their kids. This gap seems to have widened with the children in the 21st century. Kids nowadays might not be very open about things that bother them or be verbose of the peer pressures that they have to deal with because they might feel that they would not be understood or would be judged. To close this gap and to gain better understanding of what children have to deal with, parents need to develop a stronger relationship and a safe haven where kids feel they can talk about anything and everything. To be able to accomplish this there has to be good communication between parents & their children.

Understand how your child communicates

Knowing how your child communicates will help you strengthen your bond with them and encourage them to be open with you. Some kids are open while others a little bit more reserved. Taking the time to learning their style will help you bring the best out in them. Be mindful that not all communication is verbal and pay close attention to body language. Sometimes a cheerful child that seems quiet could have had a tough day at school and might just need a nudge to share it with you,

Be a good listener 

Listening is so much more than just hearing what is being said; it is to understand the meaning behind the words. We have all been guilty of listening half-heartedly while trying to finish cooking dinner or while responding to a work email or taking care of the endless things that have to be taken care of. Give full attention to your child when he or she is talking about something. Make eye contact and let them know that what they are saying is important, that they are important. Turn off the TV and any other distractions or interruptions as you intently listen to them and respond thoughtfully when they ask for your opinion. Things that seem trivial or silly to you might actually be challenging for them to process. So make sure you empathize without judging and look at it from their perspective. When your child feels like they can talk to you about anything and everything you have created a strong foundation of a loving relationship.

Narrate positive stories and personal experiences 

Children love to hear stories. Remember the times where we read bedtime stories to our kids when they were younger. It was a ritual that made them feel so special and loved. Depending on your kid’s age and maturity level, you choose the best stories for them.  As the kids get older let those stories evolve to you sharing your personal life experiences with them. Talk about yourself if you want them to talk about themselves. You don’t need to be perfect to inspire them. You just need to be real. As they start to realize that you have experienced a lot of what they are going through now, it creates this bond where they feel comfortable sharing and asking for opinion on things that matter most to them. 

Spend some time with them every day 

We all live in a busy world and finding time can seem difficult. Sometimes with both parents working different shifts it might even get trickier. Find time on a daily basis to intentionally spend with your kids. Little kids might want you to play with them. Remember it’s not what you want to do, its what they want you to do with them that matter. Develop a routine that works for your family. As kids get older they love to help. Let them contribute by helping you with chores like preparing dinner together or going shopping. Schedule some family time and plan a picnic or a vacation and create memories. To children love is often spelt as TIME.

Use the Whale-done approach. 

Everyone wants a perfect child. We use criticism and manipulation as tools to get them to doing what we think they should do which actually back fires in most cases. In his book “Whale done” Ken Blanchard talks about accentuating the positive and redirecting energy when mistakes happen. This approach helps build confidence & self esteem. Kids also need to know that we are their biggest cheerleaders at all times. They need to know that we have their back. It is important for them to celebrate their wins but also to know that making mistakes and failing is part of life and learning to handle failure is perhaps the most important lesson that can help them develop resilience. 

Help build confidence by strengthening learning

We all know that education provides the basic building block, which is the foundation to creating a successful future. Inculcate the love of learning in your child. Children tend to love what they understand and are comfortable with. Enrolling your child in online practice for Math and ELA can help them practice what they learn in school and become more comfortable with the subject material.  It helps them gain confidence in their own ability to perform, sharpens their skills and creates a winning culture. Georgia Test Prep offers a wide range of practice for the students to enhance their performance and create great results.

Some parting thoughts 

Make a lot of deposits in your child’s life. Give them all the tools necessary to succeed in life. Love them unconditionally. Make sure to tell them often that you believe that they are the most magical and wonderful beings in this world; that they are capable of accomplishing anything that they set their hearts to and that is exactly what they will go on to do!