If you didn’t listen in my previous article, take the time to listen now! COVID-19 will be around for some time yet! School is re-opening in some form or another in many places; some in-person, some completely online, some blended. If your children are attending school completely online then hopefully you’ve prepared with school material and a workspace and hopefully you’ve gotten accustomed to the children in your space 24/7! The good thing is that at least your child is safer than those who have to go to school physically. If you’re on the hunt for fun, educational, virtual classes check that out here. Now let’s talk about how best to stay safe while going back to school with COVID-19.
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An Easy Guide to Understanding COVID-19 and the Management of it!
Do Your Due Diligence
It is your responsibility to ensure that your child, of whatever age, is being protected by the institution that they will be/are attending. You should ask, observe and ensure that you are comfortable with the precautions being taken. Some useful precautions institutions can take are:
- Desks placed 2 metres apart.
- Small classes (though how small it should be is difficult to say but the smaller the class the lesser the probability of contracting the virus)
- Plexi glass screens
- Hand washing/sanitising stations
- Mandatory wearing of masks for all staff and students
- Daily screening of staff
- Frequent testing of staff
- No physical contact assignments/activities
- Regular disinfecting of surfacing especially before and after every class
You have to play your part:
Be Responsible
- Wear your mask
- Keep your distance
- Don’t throw or attend parties/large gatherings
- Stay home if you have symptoms and inform the institution; get tested
- Understand that friendship does not exempt one from having COVID-19;
- Wash your hands with soap thoroughly for 20 seconds on entry to a room, exit, after touching a communal surface, after any physical contact. Carry and use Hand Sanitiser if there is no access to soap and water (as age appropriate)
- Do not touch your face!
For the Little Ones
The smaller the child, the harder it is for them to follow the “be responsible” guidelines. Most children have no idea how to be hygienic or follow any rules for that matter! For you, due diligence is paramount because you will be depending a lot on the institution to keep your child safe. Apart from that, start to develop the good habits at home.
- Wash their hands more frequently; even when there may not be a need to. Soon it will be abnormal to them if they haven’t washed their hands in a while.
- Put glitter on their hands and challenge them not to get it on their faces. This helps demonstrate how germs can get to their face and why they shouldn’t touch their faces. (Or if they like glitter too much choose something they don’t want to get on their faces!) Give a reward for no glitter or least glitter on the face. This game can be repeated several times!
- If they’re old enough to wear a mask get them a superhero or character mask, it makes all the difference!
- Talk to them as you clean surfaces so that it is something they see as important and normal.
- Help them enjoy socially distanced fun through fun online classes or virtual playdates that you set up with their friends.
- Educate! You are never too young to learn! Let them watch age appropriate videos, learning resources and classes about COVID-19 and general health.
My last piece of advice would be to educate yourself! We have lots of COVID-19 resources already posted and you can sign up below to get our free downloadable COVID-19 Basics Handbook sent to your email!
Join the Parley and get a Copy of Our Free “COVID-19 Basics Handbook”!
An Easy Guide to Understanding COVID-19 and the Management of it!
M Parley 