A year ago if someone told us that we need to be prepared for a year of homeschooling our kids, we honestly would not have believed it. And then came March 2020 which led us to struggle with work, household chores and homeschooling. While it was tough to transition from physical to online classes, we parents somehow managed to sail through. A year later, it is now time to brace ourselves for another uphill battle; preparing our littles (and us) for going back to school. 

Heading to school after such a long gap, especially in the middle of a pandemic can be overwhelming for many children. So we have put together a guide for you to know the ways in which you can help your child make this transition smoother.

Prepare for a classroom setting

You must remember that your child will be in a classroom set up after almost a year. While at home they could freely move around, wake up just before the class, and sit for their online classes in their favorite posture, the same won’t be possible in school. They will be in masks and on their desks all the time. To get them ready for school, you must prepare them for a classroom setting.

You can do this by creating a mock classroom days before they are scheduled to go back to school. Make sure to:
-Have a chair and desk to get them accustomed to sitting on a chair
-A whiteboard to give them a feel of the classroom
-Give them lunch according to school lunch break timings
-Have them wear masks during school hours
-Wake them up well in advance to get them used to waking up early
-Reduce their screen time on non-school related activities

Make them talk with their friends

Children have been confined to the four walls for far too long. During this time many could not keep in touch with their friends. Now that they will be with their peers again, it would be best to make them do a video call with their mates for at least a week before they head to school. This will help them to not feel awkward or find it difficult to interact with each other.

Talk with your kids​

Even though your little ones must be excited to meet their friends, they might be a bit scared to go back with so many restrictions.  Do take out time to hear their concerns and ask about their fears. Once they open up to you then make sincere efforts to validate their worries and provide active solutions to help them regain control over their situation.

You may help them overcome their fears and apprehensions by sharing relaxing techniques or enrolling them for language, dance, art or music courses. You can opt for online guitar classes, online singing lessons or even online drawing classes as per your child’s interests.

Teach them about the safety measures they need to follow

This may seem obvious but it is the most important step to help your child ease into the process. You must go through the basics of washing hands frequently and ensure that you normalize mask-wearing at home before school begins.

In case your little one finds it uncomfortable to wear a mask then do seek their help in choosing the fabric of the mask and consult a doctor to help them get habituated to mask-wearing.

Know a tip to help children cope with the transition from homeschooling to school? Let us know in the comments below.