As things are getting back to normal with the active cases significantly reduced across the nation and the kick start of massive vaccination drives, schools have begun to reopen safely. Returning to school during the COVID-19 pandemic might create a stressful situation for many parents. You would definitely be worried about the safety and health of your child as they head back to school.

Wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, using sanitizer frequently, and maintaining all other COVID-19 protocols, kids will need to be extra precautions while getting back to class. Therefore, to ease this challenging situation, today I will be sharing some safety tips through which you can help your kids for staying protected and healthy at school.

Here are some suggestions that may help your child to get back to a different kind of school –

Practice Proper Hand Hygiene

Maintaining good hand hygiene is important to slow the spread of coronavirus and other infectious diseases. Ask your child to keep an alcohol-based sanitizer handy if they are unable to wash hands with soap water frequently at the school. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces like desk, table, chair, doors, etc. at the school is also an integral part to reduce the potential for COVID-19.  Irrespective of the viral pandemic, good hand hygiene is vitally important to reduce the risk of diseases that can be easily transferred from one person to another.

Physical Distancing & Face Covering

Ask your child to maintain a physical distance of at least 6meter with their classmates during the class. They should adhere to social distancing while playing any outdoor games, having lunch, during the morning assembly or any other school activities as well. For sure, the kids must be excited to reunite with their friends after long however hugging and handshaking it’s not a great idea right now. Remind them to avoid this. Apart from this, face masks properly covering the nose and mouth are highly effective to prevent an increase of new infections. If they are struggling to wear a mask for long, follow these tips given below:

• Get them a new mask with suitable fabric
• Make sure it is comfortable
• Allow children to choose their own mask
• Make sure they know how to handle mask safely
• Listen to their problem carefully to find the actual cause
• Give your kid an extra mask that can be used in case of urgency

Stay Home If Unwell

Although schools will daily conduct temperature monitoring, but to ensure utmost safety you should also monitor your child’s overall health and wellness on a daily basis. If your child shows any signs of COVID-19, they should stay home and skip school or other outdoor activities. It is our responsibility to protect ourselves and others to flatten the curve of this deadly disease. So, stay alert and keep in touch with your doctor in case any COVID-19 symptom is observed

Establish Healthy Diet

Source: https://www.omorganickitchen.com/

The one thing that everyone has realized due to the outbreak of coronavirus is the importance of a healthy gut. A strong immune system is essential to effectively fight off any illness or virus. So, make sure your child is consuming a nutrient-rich diet loaded up with foods that boost the immune system. As summers are approaching, it becomes crucial to stay hydrated. Ensure your child is drinking plenty of water. If they become bored of the taste of water offer them healthy drinks like coconut water, fresh juices, buttermilk, lemon water, etc. to stay strong all summer long.

Don’t Share Belongings

Sharing has always been caring but not in the times of coronavirus! You never know who is infected as coronavirus can be asymptomatic as well. Therefore, teach your kids to avoid sharing or touching the food or belonging of their friends. It’s not about being selfish in fact it’s about taking care of each other health by reducing the spread of the deadly disease.

Empathize With Your Child

Your child may be scared of going back to school. Therefore, it is important to talk to them about their concerns and lend support to relieve their stress due to transitioning back to school. Educate them about coronavirus, upfront about the current situation, and motivate them so that they can attend school stress-free and do their part to stop the spread. After they are back home, ask about their day to show that you care about their school-life and feelings, which can help them to cope with stress. Young kids direct support and attention from parents to survive any challenging situation.

Final Thoughts

The coronavirus vaccine has brought us some hope that things will get back to normal soon, including school. Just follow the safety tips that I have discussed above to ensure the safety of your child. Moreover, it is equally important that the schools are adhering to the COVID-19 policies for keeping schools safe to reduce the risk of illness. Stay updated about the measures that the school is taking to keep students, teachers, and staff safe.

Instill healthy lifestyle habits in your children to make them fit and protected from germs or illness.