Just like kids, parents often experience first-day jitters when it’s time to send their little ones back to school. Add in the fact that nobody really knows what to expect from the 2020 school year, and it can be downright stressful. However, you can ease some of this discomfort by taking proactive steps to help your child avoid germs and excel in the classroom. Get started with these four activities.
Let’s face it: wearing a mask all day long isn’t comfortable, but it is necessary. Younger children may not understand why it’s important for them to keep their faces covered all day, but you can take steps now to prepare them to do so. Begin by having your child wear a mask for 30 minutes inside the house. Later, move on to an hour of wearing their mask. Keep working on this over the course of a few days until your child is used to wearing their mask for the duration of an entire school day. Help make the process more comfortable for them by wearing your mask as well.
Use fun activities to help your child learn why good hand hygiene is necessary. From science experiments to creating a fun, hands-free greeting, we have enough games to occupy a whole day.
Did you know that you should clean masks after each use? And who knows where your kid’s lunch box has been throughout the day. After your child arrives home each afternoon, follow a cleaning routine to avoid bringing unwanted germs into your house. Wash cloth masks in the washing machine or by hand using a bleach solution. You can clean lunch dishes in the dishwasher as usual, and wipe down their lunch box (and face shield, if they are using one) with an EPA-approved disinfectant.
Schools may require parents to screen children every day for signs of COVID-19, or staff might screen them upon arrival. Check online to see if any drop-off and pick-up procedures are changing to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading. After gathering this info, create morning and afternoon routines to help adjust to these changes.
Looking for more advice about how to have a healthy school year? Schedule a virtual visit with your Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Group pediatrician for more information about avoiding COVID-19 and other illnesses.
Sources:
CDC | How to Wash Masks
CDC | Considerations for Schools
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