COVID-19

Tips for Transitioning Back to Child Care

lba-admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 15:02:03 +0000

Tips for Transitioning Back to Child Care

lba-admin Mon, 06/15/2020 - 11:02

Lightbridge Academy President and COO Gigi Schweikert provides tips for parents as they support children transitioning from home back to school.

Parents and children across the country are understandably experiencing quarantine fatigue. They’ve been cooped up at home for months and isolated from friends and even extended family members. Many parents who are balancing the professional responsibilities of working from home with the round-the-clock coordination of their children’s education, meals and recreation are eager for camps and child care centers to reopen.

While many parents and children are eager to get back to normal as soon as possible, the truth is that “normal” is going to look different as schools, child care centers and offices reopen. Administrators will need to follow enhanced health and safety protocols, practices and recommended guidelines from the Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This will greatly impact your child’s experience.

Fortunately, there are several ways to help ensure a smooth back-to-school transition for both children and parents. Here are a few tips to navigate this new chapter.

Review the changes being made

Lightbridge Academy has created a video directed to children returning to the center and other materials for parents to review on the changes they can expect to experience moving forward. For one, students will be dropped off at the entrance and go back to their classroom with their teachers instead of their parents. It is comforting for a parent to explain this in advance so the child is not caught off-guard and they know what to expect in advance. Reassure them that it’s a positive change. Use phrases along the lines of “You get to go in like a big boy!”

Children will also get a temperature check upon arrival to ensure they do not have a fever. Reassure them with phrases like “All our friends are practicing healthy habits just like you!” Also, if your child often brings a special soft toy, find a place in the car for it to “wait” for them as they will not be able to bring it to school with them, in order to inhibit the spread of germs.

Of course, there will be masks, which might be strange to children who haven’t really ventured outside over the past few months. Teachers and administrators will be wearing masks and parents will be required to wear masks during pick-up/drop-off. Your child may want to wear a mask and if they are over the age of 2, you could find a cute design that they would enjoy.

Explain to your children that these masks are to help keep everybody safe and why it is important not to play with it. Make sure they see you with the mask on prior to drop off if they haven’t already to help them feel comfortable and adjust.

Prepare for separation anxiety

It may seem like everyone is eager to escape their houses and get some respite from an abundance of togetherness, but children may still experience separation anxiety when their schedules are changing and they feel uncertain about what to expect. Infants and toddlers may not remember some of their caregivers and might be nervous as they get reacquainted. Three-year-olds and four-year-olds are more likely to remember their teachers and classmates, but the amount of time that has transpired since they last saw them is still significant. Either way, talk to your child about going back to child care. Show them pictures or videos from their class, and talk about seeing their friends. Ask them how they feel about it, and even encourage them to draw you pictures that portray their feelings. This will help them process their feelings and prevent being surprised.

Be confident and reassuring

As parents, we don’t always realize that our children might be absorbing any anxiety we ourselves might be feeling. Just watching the news can make us anxious, and our children can easily feed off of this emotion. Plus, little ones often take things quite literally. They might hear a parent say “I lost my job” and reply with “I’ll help you find it!” It’s our responsibility as parents to reassure our children as best as we can about what’s going on around them and what they should say and do - and maybe shouldn’t say or do - in certain situations.

Confirm that you’ll miss them

Let’s just admit it: This has been a stressful time. Many parents have lost their jobs. Those with jobs have had to to juggle their work responsibilities along with caring for their child and educational activities. The days have been long and the babysitters nonexistent.

That being said, there have been bright spots over the past few months. No commuting time and major quality time with your kids that you otherwise would not have enjoyed. True, there may have been tears and fights and fatigue over educational activities and diaper changes, but there were also lots of cuddles, movie nights and games. Your kids have literally been growing up in front of your eyes.

To this end, talk to your kids about how much you’ve loved spending so much time together. Let them know how much you’ll miss them. Give them a family photo they can keep in their cubby. Show them all the photos you have of them on your phone and assure them you’ll look at the photos throughout the day. Above all, remind your child that you’ll see them very soon and will pick them up at the end of the day.

Get excited!

Don’t forget to focus on the positives: It’s back-to-school time! Yes, everyone might need to get their temperatures checked and may have to follow new procedures, but it’s still an exciting start to a new school year. Parents can receive the support they need and children can get back to a routine. Learning and beginning a new educational journey. Having fun with their friends and even make some new ones. They can play and run and shout in a safe and fun environment that’s designed especially for them. Above all, everyone will have a chance to miss each other again.

Transitioning back to work and child care is going to be exactly that, a transition, but by respecting the new protocols that need to be followed, talking through feelings and, above all, showing excitement for the return to friends and teachers, parents can help ensure that children have a great back-to-school experience.

Talking to your Child About COVID-19

lba-admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 17:55:04 +0000

Talking to your Child About COVID-19

lba-admin Tue, 03/24/2020 - 13:55

Talking to your young child about crisis and what's currently happening in the world can be complicated - How much should I share without scaring them? What is developmentally appropriate? What are the right words to explain what’s happening? What questions will they have, and will I be able to answer them?

Their routines have been broken and the world seems unfamiliar and out of the ‘norm’, they’re home all day and not seeing their teachers or friends. They’re going to be inquisitive, it’s just how they’re programmed!

It’s a lot to process for adults, let alone children. Depending on your child’s age, they might already be hearing about ‘Corona’ or ‘COVID’ from media, adults in their lives, etc. So, what do we do?

Providing them with appropriate information they need while making sure they ARE safe and FEEL safe is most important. Here’s a few tips on questions to ask and how to respond.

What have you heard about the coronavirus?

Ask questions to help you gauge what your child may have already heard and believe about the situation. You might ask, "Are your friends talking about the coronavirus? What are they saying?" or "Have you heard anyone talking about a sickness that's going around?" Their answer will give you an idea of where to begin your conversation.

Do you know what the coronavirus is?

Be honest and keep it basic, no need to overshare. Just be available to them and encourage them to ask any questions they may have, and it’s okay if you can’t answer everything. A simple and easy explanation is: ‘it is a germ that makes people sick’.

How can we stay healthy?

Rather than illness, focus on what they can do to help make sure everyone stays healthy. Explain that this is why we practice healthy habits… and be a role model for your child. Show your little one how to properly wash their hands, and how often. Handwashing should be for a minimum of 20 seconds in length, and be done before and after meals, after using the bathroom, or playing with toys. Have your child sing their favorite tune while scrubbing. When they’re done singing – their hands are clean! Also, explain the importance of keeping their hands away from their faces. It’s hard, we know, but try!

Another great way to stay healthy is by encouraging them to playing outside, weather permitting of course! The fresh air and Vitamin D are great for all of us and will help break up the monotony of sitting inside all day. Not sure what to do with them while outside? Bring a few of their ‘inside toys’ out, there are no rules! Enjoying a picnic, playing with the dog, teaching them to ride a bike, do some gardening and drawing with chalk are also some fun ideas.

When will we go back to school?

This is a tough one. But, again, be honest and keep it as simple as possible. Let them know that everyone wants to be together again and look for ways to keep them connected with their friends. Join the Lightbridge Academy Facebook Live daily activity or set-up a Facetime call with one of their buddies. Even small moments of connection can go a long way!

What are we doing today?

Children feel safe and secure when they know what to expect. Create a daily schedule and post it on the wall. Let them check off their list. This is a great way to keep them on track with what they are used to doing when they were going to school. Routines give young children (and even adults!) a sense of security and help reduce the ‘unknown’ anxiety. Since change happens frequently in a young child's life (new foods, new clothes, new bed, new house, new siblings, etc.), adjustments are easier to make when they occur in the context of a familiar routine.

There are also a plethora of helpful resources available online to assist you in helping you child to continue to learn and achieve developmental milestones while at home.

We’re all trying to figure this out. Take it one day at a time, and don’t overlook some of the “positives” that are coming from this challenge. We are getting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to slow down, soak up as much family time as possible, create beautiful memories together, and turn daily tasks into teachable moments!