By now your children are probably well versed on the importance of social distancing. Younger children and toddlers are likely to understand the gist of things while older children and teens will have a complete understanding of the global situation.
As we move through to Level 3 lockdown and begin to see a return to school, it’s important to help your kids fully understand the importance of keeping social distancing protocols in place.
Social distancing in school
It’s a difficult time for all families to navigate. The health and safety of our loved ones is a top priority and the country has been dedicated to strict social distancing for over 2 months.
For children finally returning to school, it might be easy to forget the severity of the situation. We understand that children will be excited to “get back to normal”. While we want to encourage this returning sense of community in the educational space, it’s vital that all learners and teachers maintain proper hygiene and social distancing habits.
Here are some ways in which you can help prepare your child for social distancing in school and how to help keep everyone healthy and safe:
1. Help them understand the situation
Depending on how much detail you’ve shared with your children, it’s important to drive home the severity of the situation and explain why social distancing is necessary. There’s no need to fear monger, but rather try to express the need to keep everyone safe and healthy. Explain to them that they need to keep a safe distance from friends, avoid sharing foods or juice bottles and not to hug one another. Remind them that the sooner everyone is able to comply with these habits, the sooner we can combat the spread of the virus.
2. Keep up social distancing rules outside of school
Avoid playdates or socialising until the correct lockdown level laws allow it. This will ensure your child is not at risk of picking up or spreading the illness outside of the school bubble.
3. Don’t forget masks and hand sanitiser
Hygiene habits such as hand washing, hand sanitiser and face masks will also help keep the spread of the virus at bay. It’s important for parents to observe these habits too, keeping the extended Trinityhouse community out of risk. There are plenty of hand washing tutorials on YouTube should your child need to brush up on proper handwashing techniques for optimal safety.
Checklist:
At the start of the school day, perhaps run through this checklist of reminders with your child. It might seem redundant but keeping this top of mind will help children to keep up social distancing and hygiene habits:
● Wash hands for at least 20 seconds, always with soap.
● Don’t touch your face.
● Use hand sanitiser when necessary.
● Avoid sharing juice bottles, straws or eating utensils.
● If you need to sneeze or cough, use the crook of your elbow.
● If a fellow learner sneezes or coughs, there is no need to panic. There is also no need to isolate or tease anyone who is unwell. We are all in this together.
● Don’t hug or make contact with friends.
● If you’re feeling unwell, communicate it to your parents or teacher immediately.
● Don’t be afraid to ask for support. This is a scary time, but your teachers and family are here to help you through it.
At Trinityhouse we are taking the utmost care in preparing our schools for a safe return. Our priority is health and safety for all. We are currently establishing optimal health procedures, adapting school policies where necessary and doing what we can to provide extra support to all parents, learners and teachers.
