As the world navigates through the stressful and uncertain situation of the global pandemic of Covid-19, daily life for people has been upended by lockdowns, school closures and remote work. Children have felt the disruptions in daily life even more deeply as they have become used to being with their parents all the time with limited or no mobility to socialize. This has led to drastic emotional and behavioral changes in children of all ages. 

When it comes to reopening of physical schools in the new academic year 2022, both children and parents are finding it difficult to deal with back-to-school anxiety, as the world slowly returns back to normal.

After more than two years of virtual classroom sessions and remote work for parents, this back-to-normal life is certainly not going to be easy for anyone, and especially for children, this transition is going to be a process which requires some preparation to let your child feel safe and comfortable in getting back to normal.

Tips to prepare children for back-to-school routine with positive mental health  

Here are some tips to help your children deal with some emotions they may be facing with going back to school.

Listen to your child’s concerns and worries - Take your child’s worries and fears seriously and talk to him about it. His concerns can be anything from irritation towards wearing a mask, wanting to study at the comfort of home, being with family members or ‘what if’ someone else like fellow classmates and friends doesn’t follow rules etc. Approach him with empathy; having an open conversation will make him feel at ease. 

Help them prepare - Tell your child about the new safety rules and protocols they need to follow towards Covid-19 as they return to school. At TSGE, one of the best international schools in Mumbai, learners are given proper counselling, if they are nervous and reluctant to learn at school as they return after months of learning at home. The school therefore assures them about all the safety measures in place to help keep them and others safe. 

Keep calm and check in - Children imitate adult behaviour and often tend to take their emotional cues from the key adults in their life, like parents and teachers. Therefore, parents must manage their own emotions and model calm and stress free attitude to help their children stay relaxed and feel safe amidst the pandemic situation. It’s important for parents to talk and discuss with their children and check on them as to ‘how they are feeling’ about going back to school after a long time. Listen to their concerns, speak kindly and reassure them about the necessary safety measures at school with compassion and understanding. 

Have healthy routines in place - Family routines have largely changed in the ongoing pandemic. Work from home patterns, virtual classroom sessions, online exams, etc. have not only changed our daily life routine but have also made us habitual of the comfort of our home. Have a plan to change this routine. Start preparing children from now, mentally and physically, like going to bed on time, waking up early etc.; little older children can be reinforced to build and develop a routine that gives them an organized and balanced student life. This will make it easier for them to manage and transition to the change once the physical school starts again.

Flexibility is the key - Talk to your children about the rapid changing situation of Covid-19. Staying flexible in the changing protocols will help them develop a flexible attitude and build resilience in the future. 

Educating the child to follow safety precautions

As schools are planning to reopen in the coming academic session, it's important to take necessary precautions both inside and outside the classroom to prevent the spread of COVID-19. To enable children to continue their learning and education in a safe and healthy environment, they must also be educated about maintaining their health and hygiene.

Physical distancing at school - Tell your children to maintain a distance of at least 1 meter with everyone at school. At TSGE, an IGCSE board school in Mumbai, we ensure the arrangement of desk spacing, physical distancing measures during lunch breaks, limit the after-school activities and mixing of classes, fewer students per classroom, and advise against crowding during school pick-up or leaving-time. 

Apart from this, in order to alert and remind everyone to maintain physical distancing at all times, Thakur School of Global Education (TSGE), one of the top 10 international schools in Mumbai, is all set with special measures like use of signs, ground markings, tape, barriers etc. especially in queues around entrances for everyone to maintain 1 metre distance. Classrooms are ventilated as much as possible and students are not allowed to gather and socialize in big groups even after leaving school grounds.

Wash hands regularly - Regular hand washing is an important precaution not just against COVID-19, but other diseases as well. It is one of easiest and more cost-effective ways to combat the spread of germs and keep students and staff healthy. Make it a regular practice, a habit, at home for children to hand wash regularly, especially before lunch and not to touch their nose, mouth and eyes every time.

At TSGE, the best international school in Kandivali, Mumbai, due emphasis is given to the practice of regular hand washing, especially before lunch time and/or applying hand sanitizers at key moments, such as entering and leaving the classroom, touching surfaces, learning materials, books, and after using a tissue to blow their nose. At the school premises, like in each classroom, entrances and exits, near lunchrooms, toilets and places of hand washing are equipped with necessary supplies like soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

Teach them how to cover a cough or sneeze - Educating children about necessary ways to be safe is important like showing and telling them how to cover a cough or sneeze with their elbow and not by using their hands or a handkerchief. This will motivate them to encourage others also who are not following these measures. 

At TSGE School, Kandivali West, students are instructed to immediately wash their hands or apply hand sanitizer, if they accidentally cough and/or sneeze in/on their hands. If they have used a tissue, they are instructed to dispose of it immediately and wash their hands. 

Mask wearing at school - Tell your children that it is not only essential to wear masks all the time but they must also ensure disposing used masks to avoid the risk of contaminated masks in classrooms and playgrounds. At TSGE, students are instructed to handle and store masks properly. 

Be alert and cautious when feeling sick - Tell your child to report to the teacher immediately if they feel sick or have fever, cough, tiredness or difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and skin rashes.

Safety protocols at TSGE - discovering our new normal together as a community

Schools and teachers play a very important role in making students and parents aware of the fake information and myths about COVID-19 that feed fear and stigma. At TSGE, one of the best Cambridge International Schools in Kandivali West, Mumbai, students are educated with the right facts and essential protocols, such as:

• Daily screening for body temperature on entry into the school and reporting any history of fever in the previous 24 hours, for all students, teachers and other staff.
• Regular cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and objects that are touched often, like desks, doorknobs, computer keyboards, toys, library books etc.
• Rules to avoid high-risk and high-touch areas in school/classroom, for example, not to touch the railing while walking up and down the stairs, and keep classroom doors open to avoid touching door-knobs.
• Updating students and parents with Covid-19 information from reliable sources such as UNICEF and WHO, health authorities in the country as well as local health authorities of the city.

Thus, apart from physical health and learning, it’s important to keep an eye out for signs of stress and anxiety in children as they return to school after a longtime of virtual classroom sessions. It's normal to feel anxiety in the face of uncertainty. By staying informed about the situation and following the recommendations of public health experts, we can protect our own wellbeing and those around us. 

So whether it's online classroom or in-person school, TSGE, one of the top 10 IGCSE schools in Kandivali, West, Mumbai, is all set to thrive together as its dear students prepare to return to school after Covid-19.

Blog Reference Sources:

• cdc.gov
• fda.gov
• mohfw.gov
• unicef.org