Perhaps now more than ever it’s worth getting your child to help plan some lunches or snacks that give them a boost of happiness and health during their school day.Īdvertisement Peer pressure takes on new risks
Whether kids are eating outside or at their desks, it’s a safe bet that passing choice snacks will be forbidden.
If students eat lunch at school, there will be new rules about how to behave. Instead of letting your middle schoolers watch a steady stream of TV news, find an article or video you can share and talk about. Research shows that overexposure to negative news provokes fear, anxiety and other damaging outcomes. But put limits on consuming coronavirus news (that goes for the adults, too). Some kids will be interested in charts and graphs depicting efforts to flatten the curve, or in apps that track cases in your area. Participating in informed discussions about the latest news and numbers may help older kids feel some control and alleviate their anxiety. Before masking up again-you guessed it-wash your hands! Information is power-but dosage is important Rules at school will vary, but in general it’s good practice to wash or sanitize your hands before you remove your mask, place it into a designated paper or plastic bag while you’re not wearing it, and wash your hands again after removing it. But since the latest research suggests that kids aged 10 to 19 are at least as likely as adults to transmit the virus, getting them on board is crucial. This intensely social age group has to find ways to express themselves, individuate from their parents and pursue their passions amidst a whole new set of rules and restrictions. The key things to model for kids of all ages? Calmness, flexibility, and a willingness to take the necessary steps to keep everyone safe.īeing a middle schooler just got harder.
What we do know is that when in-person school resumes, every aspect of the school day will probably be affected. Nobody knows exactly how or when our children will be back in the classroom or what safety measures schools will take to limit the transmission of COVID-19.