This has been a hard year.  It has been a strange year. COVID-19 has turned America upside down, held the country by the ankles, and shook out all feelings of control. The school year ended badly. Students were unceremoniously thrust into the realm of remote learning unprepared, unwanted, and unanticipated. As we look forward to getting back some semblance of normalcy in education, there are some changes parents, students, and teachers will have to adapt to. As a mom and a teacher, I have had to think about what is about to happen this fall. Here are some tips:

 Prepare Your Child Mentally

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While we can’t possibly prepare for every contingency in life, we can try to think ahead and use the information we have to make an educated guess. Being prepared mentally for what is about to happen can help in adapting to the new normal in the educational landscape.

1. Talk Frankly With Your Child

It ain’t over yet, folks. The government is still requesting students to wear masks. Social distancing is still in effect. Even in our small town, remote, country area masks are required in stores. Classrooms are going through transformations to provide social distancing for students. For example, in some schools, lunches will be eaten in classrooms, not in a cafeteria. In our small school, students will no longer be able to use the microwave.

2. Support Teachers By Preparing Your Child

Let’s talk about wearing masks. No matter where you stand on this surprisingly touchy subject, remember that teachers don’t make the rules. So, if your school is requiring masks, then start prepping your child for that reality. It isn’t the teacher’s fault. Start having your child wear his mask for half an hour a day. Increase a little bit each day. Also, make the experience as positive as possible by letting your child pick out 4 to 5 masks they like.

3. Discuss The Upcoming Schedule

As soon as you know what the schedule will be like, make sure your child understands. Will students have certain days off for remote learning? Some schools are splitting the week up between time on campus and time at home. It could be that your student will have to be self-motivated in order to learn remotely.

4. Expect The Unexpected

No one knows what this winter will bring. It could be that schools will be on a fairly normal schedule. However, there could also be another shutdown. This is a good time to be honest with your child. 2020 has had a good dose of “wait and see.” That doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. Teach your child to be flexible and to accept and embrace change.

5. Read. Read Some More.

My favorite tip for mental preparation is to encourage your child to read at least 30 minutes a day. Have them read by themselves or out loud to you. Reading tickles the brain into activity, broadens your child’s horizon, spurs imagination, teaches problem–solving, thinking outside the box, and broadens your child’s perspective. You can never go wrong spending time reading with your child, or encouraging your child to read on their own.

Prepare Your Child Physically

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Your child, as well as their teachers, are going to be under more stress than usual. This coming school year not only brings a host of changes because of health guidelines, but also uncertainty. Stress can affect your child’s ability to learn and deal with change and disappointment.

1. Establish Healthy Sleep Habits

The time is now to start preparing your child for the new school term. A reasonable bedtime with nightly habits should be established. What sort of nightly activities are part of your child’s routine during the school year? Many families, over the summer, allow their children to stay up later. Without the routine of the school schedule, it is easy to get laid back about bedtime.  That is a normal and acceptable part of summer. However, 3 to 4 weeks prior to the first day of school, parents should be re-establishing the bedtime routines followed during the school year. It takes about three weeks to build a habit. The first week of school is always exhausting, so the time to start healthy sleep patterns is now.

2. Establish Healthy Eating Habits

No different than pre-COVID-19 is the need for a healthy diet. While S’mores and ice cream are fun and refreshing, fruit should be a major part of a child’s day. A balanced diet improves your child’s brain function, emotional control, and ability to adapt to stressful circumstances, not to mention help boost their immune system.

3. Think About What Is Or Isn’t Available For Your Child

Provide what your child will need. Let’s go back to the example above about not having access to a microwave. This is the situation in our small, private school. To make hot lunches a possibility, I bought the little thermoses that keep food hot up to 4 hours. They heat up the food in the microwave at home, put it in the thermos, then at lunchtime a few hours later, they can enjoy a hot meal.

4. Use A Minimalist Approach To Supplies

Personal items will need to be kept at a minimum. I already know that my child has to have their own personal supplies. This includes pencils, eraser, paper, notebooks, and hand sanitizer, just to name a few things. Pro tip: Shop now. Don’t wait until the week before school starts. By then, supplies will be low, and you might be disappointed and have to think fast in order to get what your child needs.

5. Avoid Mask Mayhem

Masks may be required at your school. If they are, make sure your child has several. Whether you use disposable or cloth, your child could be needing a clean mask every day. I am a believer in cloth masks for everyday use because they are washable. I have seen too many disposable masks on the ground while camping and in parking lots to the stores to endorse using disposable masks unless you are a front-line worker. They are not difficult to make. They are inexpensive and simple. You can make several at a time out of fabrics your child likes. If you don’t sew, a mask is a great way to learn. If you don’t want to learn to sew, there are hundreds of no-sew tutorials available online. If that is still too much for you, buy locally from a seller.

This school year has the potential of being crazy and confusing. Guidelines seem to change on a daily basis.  The best we can do as parents is to act on the information provided with common sense and a good attitude. My best advice as a mom and a teacher is to be as prepared as possible, but also remain flexible and positive.

“If you don’t like something, change it.  If you can’t change it, change your attitude”. ~Maya Angelou