Top Tips – Back to School with COVID-19

For many parents, the thought of their children going back to school can be an exciting thought. You have probably run out of ideas for activities to entertain your children with, and of the costs that can come with it!

However, coming to end of the school holiday break may also feel like a daunting time.
Thinking about the school equipment list to purchase, keeping up with the uniform washing, making lunches in the morning rush and no more sleep ins!

Being organised ahead of time is key to taking the pressure off in the weeks before school starts. Having all the practical aspects covered is one thing, but are we mentally prepared to shift our mindset of holiday-mode back to school-routine mode? Starting a new grade or school or returning to school can also come with many worries and uncertainties, for children and parents. The change in routine can take time to adapt to for both adults and children. As parents we can become overwhelmed, and not know how we can support the mental health of our children.

Here are some practical tips to getting organised while also giving insight to supporting you and your child’s mental health along the way.

2-3 weeks before school starts:

• Budget for the upcoming costs- Starting school can also come with the added strain of new purchases for uniforms, school equipment and school fees just to name a few. Writing out a rough budget can prepare you and allow you to prioritise the purchases. Such as most essential to what can wait a couple of weeks.
• Purchasing everything on the school’s equipment checklist- Schools often give out a checklist of all the equipment required to purchase before coming back to school. Include lunch boxes or bags that may need replacing. By getting these tasks done early, it beats the last-minute rush and stress.
• Check that the children’s uniforms and shoes still fit- During the holidays (while they ate everything in the pantry) they may have had a growth spurt! You don’t want to be left with the surprise of ill-fitting uniforms on the first day back to school, as well as the surprise cost (uniforms can be expensive!). By organising uniforms early, you can budget accordingly and see what you need.
• Wear in new shoes- Wearing in new shoes is a good way to avoid first day blisters, discomfort and give your child a feel for the shoes.
• Labelling all the new school gear- With all the time and money spent on preparing for school, the last thing you want is to lose anything at school.
• Check-in with your child’s feelings about going to school- Spend some time talking to your child about how they feel about starting/returning to school. You may be excited to get the children back to school, but your child may be feeling uncertain, nervous or anxious about returning to school. Reassuring your child that what they are feeling is ok and that you are there for them to get through this time together.

1-2 week before school starts:

• Start the school sleep routine- Arrange sleeping times according to the school routine to re-adjust back to sleeping and getting up earlier. By training your body clock ahead of time, you and your child will avoid the added strains of not being able to get up in the morning and being sleepy in class. This will help to avoid arguments in the morning and support your child’s concentration in class.
• Calendar checking. For younger children, it can be helpful for them to prepare them mentally for when school starts. Surprising them that it is school tomorrow, or the day of school can add to feelings of anxiousness and uncertainty. For older children, have them check their school timetable to prepare for their first week ahead.
• Go shopping for school lunches. Having a good supply and selection of healthy school snacks, sandwich fillings and lunch box fillers can save time in the morning. This can be another way to get your child involved in decision making and preparing ahead of time. Get creative and try bento style lunches!

School Days

• Prepare as much as possible the night before- uniforms, sports kit, library bags and snacks for lunchboxes. By developing a habit of preparing the night before, it can avoid looking for things such as clean socks, hats, or clean lunch boxes. Starting each morning with chaos can leave your child feeling overwhelmed and anxious for the day, and this is before even entering the school!
• Start early- by preparing yourself and children early you will leave time for any last-minute surprises. Sticking to good daily routines takes practice. Challenge yourself every day to build up these good life skills.
• Get the children involved- Children often are told what and when they are doing things in the day or week, which can often lead to feelings of uncertainty and anxiousness. By involving children in their daily routines can take away the feelings of uncertainty or lack of control and give them a sense of responsibility and autonomy. Have your children involved in their daily routines such as making and packing their lunch or allowing them to choose what snacks or sandwich fillings they would like. This can be a good way to build their skills and not leave all the tasks to the parent.

COVID and going back to school

With the impact of the COVID virus, there has been a lot of uncertainty and changes around schooling. For many, witnessing a global pandemic can cause stress and increase worry for ourselves and the people around us.

May teachers, parents and children have had to adjust to online learning from home, not seeing their friends and less physical exercise.

As well as the physical restrictions, the changes and uncertainty can affect our mental health. Mental Health concerns resulting from COVID-19 was the largest areas of concern for children and young people in 2020 according to a Kids Helpline study. Other concerns raised were social isolation, education impacts and impacts on family life.

The increased worry and anxiety of COVID-19 can increase our own stress levels as parents.

Things you can do to support you and your child’s mental health around COVID and returning to school:

• Model calm behaviour- Children have a good sense of a parents mood. If you are calm, your child is more likely to be calm.
• Maintaining Routines- Having predictability can give a sense of control and safety
• Limit your own COVID conversations- You may find yourself becoming overwhelmed with the daily COVID cases and news stories. This can fuel your own fears and anxiety. Minimise your own time of news and social media to only the essential information.
• Get Creative- Doing some new activities can be distracting and can take the focus off COVID, and rather create some fond memories of the extra time together before school starts!

It can be hard to keep up with the many changes in rules and procedures around COVID. Gaining information directly from NSW Health is often the safest way to gain updated information. Inaccurate or misguided information from social media or word-of-mouth can add to the worry and uncertainty. Check on your child’s school website for the latest procedures and rules regarding school drop off, hygiene, social distancing and mask wearing relevant to the school.

Have conversations to your child about reaching out for support as well as getting support for yourself.

Self-care

Phew! With all that preparation and effort, add some relax and leisure time into your last few days of holidays. Ensuring that you have time for some self-care is so important for yourself too. Being kind to yourself is not selfish, it helps you be a better parent.

Self-care ideas:

• Spend time outdoors
• Mediate
• Ring/meet a friend to talk to
• Exercise
• Start a hobby

ProActive Psychology will be running some free parenting workshops throughout the year to focus on how to support your child/ren as well as providing practical tips on importance of parents self care. Contact 9727 7752 for your interest.

For more ideas visit: Reachout.com or Raising Children – parenting website

References

www.downshiftology.com
www.health.nsw.gov.au
www.raisingchildren.com.au
www.au.reachout.com
www.yourtown.com.au