Returning to school next week.

These tips are relevant to our children returning to school after school holidays, AND as we face the transition during COVID19.

Practical – recommence a wake up and bed time routine

• Wake up at time approximating usual time during school
• Ensure breakfast, lunch and snacks are offered at a similar time
• Try to differentiate between week days and weekends
• Exercise

Communication

• Try to reconnect children with school friends /peers on scheduled basis
• Try to organise a couple of short but fun structured play dates or online meet ups (no more than an hour)

World wise

• Take your child out on bike rides, walks and to the park
• Take your child with you to the shops several times so they can slowly acclimatise to being around other people, safely and managing social distancing rules
• Take your child out to go and collect take away
• Visit someone – 2 people are allowed to visit as long as social distancing is maintained.
• Depending how your child gets to school consider re-creating the bus / bike route, or drive by the school 

Weekend before

• Get items ready for school
• Do plenty of outside activity
• Acknowledge challenges if your child raises them, but reinforce with them that it is normal to feel like that because of all the changes and the school will be aware of that and look out for them.