One minute it was July and the next it is September, and in the blink of an eye, it is back-to-school time and a whole new year of adventures are starting again.
Of course, this is again no ordinary year, and with Covid cases looking likely to rise amongst the younger generation as they return to school, a bumpy Autumn/Winter season is predicted. But away from the well documented symptoms of the latest variant, our children are living in a world that is hard to recognise or adjust to as it is so different than what it was. With that in mind, how do we send them back to school with the least amount of anxiety but a renewed vigour for learning and excitement to mix with their friends?
Hopefully with restrictions lifted, this summer holiday has been one filled with family fun and laughter and the kids spending time with friends. Still managing to keep safe by being sensible, it does feel as though life is starting to move forward. With preparations for going back-to-school likely to be already starting in homes up and down the country, it is important to keep that feeling of life moving forward at the forefront of their minds. Verbalise to your child that whilst it is sensible to keep good hygiene habits like hand sanitising and washing, and coughing into the elbow at any time, people catching Covid is not the same as it was a year ago due to the huge step forward with vaccinations.
It may also be sensible to fill them with some idea of expectation. Whilst we all hope that the days of lockdowns are now behind us, prepare your child for some sense of potential disruption whilst also balancing that out with the fact that we are in a much better place than a year ago. By keeping them in the loop but also giving them a sense that there is a lot more to look forward to as we go forward, we can only hope the recent times will become a distant memory as they grow up.