By parenting expert Emma Bradley.
Going back to school in times of Covid? No other start of school was more challenging than this year’s! Blogger & parenting expert Emma Bradley gives insights into her back-to-school life, plus valuable tips for parents.
It has been six long months since most of the UK’s children walked out of the school gates, I don’t think any of us knew what to expect and we certainly were not banking on months of home learning and becoming our children’s teachers. Finally, it has been deemed safe enough for them to return and once again the qualified teachers can pick up the educational reins.
I am so ready for them to return, I have exhausted all of my limited crafting and baking skills, I am worn out from trying to juggle my own paid work with home learning. I need some space just to breathe by myself. It has been stifling at times and I just need to recharge. I am pretty sure the children feel the same, Erin is bored of me in the nicest possible way, she needs her friends and she needs more stimulation from other adults.
I have three children, one returning to her primary school, one returning to start A Levels and lastly one heading back to university and like many I do still have some anxieties about them returning even though their bags are packed, shoes polished and jumpers labelled, yes I am well and truly counting down the days.
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As a parenting expert I do think we need to get our children back in the classroom, many have missed out on so much and I have been very worried about vulnerable children that are known to schools. Schools support children and families in many ways not just educationally. Schools liaise with social services, school nurses and a host of other charitable invention groups. In addition, my children have missed out on socialising with their peers and for many there will be learning gaps that need filling.
School will initially look and feel rather different and as a qualified teacher and school governor I have been reading about what will become the new normal, at least for now. Parents can help their children transition back into school in a number of ways.
Firstly, start working on recreating your routines now. My teenage son has been gaming in the evenings and his sleep pattern is well out of sync with the school day. Now is a good time to start addressing this by pulling the bedtime. If you need to move bedtimes, I suggest doing it in 15-minute increments.
Travelling to school on school transport: For teenagers that use public transport provide them with their own sanitiser and masks as they are encouraged to wear them on public transport.
Remind all students that regular handwashing is crucial, younger children might respond well to sticker charts for this. If your children have sensitive skin, look for a hand cream they can carry, too.
Buy an extra uniform so that they have a clean set each day. It can be good practise to make sure they change as soon as they get home, rather than sit around in the clothes they have worn at school.
Lastly, talk to your children and listen to their concerns. Children have been out of school for a long time and it will take some time to adjust again. Children might have their own concerns as they hear things in the media and some are scared of catching the virus.
Emma is a parenting blogger and qualified teacher with three children. She writes at www.emmaand3.com and can be found on Instagram and Twitter talking about parenting teenagers and money saving topics.
