Back to school time is almost here. As you shop for new pencils, notebooks, and folders for your kids, you will have to add a couple of other items to your list. Because the pandemic is still active and there is no vaccine for it yet, you will need to take some extra precautions for returning to school this year.
While you won’t necessarily have to purchase a kids surgical mask, you will need to prepare your kids with the proper supplies for keeping them safe. Handsanitizer and face masks, for instance, will certainly be a necessity during this time. You will also want to review proper social distancing and safety measures for your children.
Before your kids return to school, make sure they are prepared to handle the new guidelines your school has implemented since last spring.
Top 3 Supplies for Keeping Your Child Safe at School
Face masks and hand sanitizer will be essential during this time
This year, the back-to-school period is going to look a little different. With the pandemic still at full force, people are still encouraged to wear masks and remain at least six feet apart from each other. Following these guidelines will be crucial for your kids as they return to school. If you haven’t already purchased these items for them, make sure you add them to your cart as you shop for school supplies:
- Mask
- Hand sanitizer
- Tissues
1. Mask
Anyone over the age of two without a special health condition is encouraged to wear a face mask while out in public. If your child is attending school in-person this fall, they will most likely need to wear a face mask. That being said, there is a small percentage of people who genuinely have trouble wearing a mask. Someone with autism, for instance, might feel intense anxiety or panic when wearing a mask. Children with facial deformities or facial trauma may also have trouble wearing a mask. If this is the case with your child, you may have to take extra steps to help them feel more comfortable when wearing a mask. You may also need to consider enrolling them in cyberschool, if that is possible for you.
You can either purchase a face mask for your child or make one yourself. When searching for a face mask, you should find one that contains at least two layers. It needs to cover your child’s nose and mouth completely. If your child wears glasses, it might be helpful to purchase a mask with a bendable border at the top so they can conform it closely to the bridge of their nose.
If you decide to make a face mask for your child by yourself, make sure you use a thick, dense fabric and include loops for hanging the mask onto the ears and keeping it on your child’s face.
2. Hand Sanitizer
To help your children stay safe and clean, don’t forget to give them a portable tube of hand sanitizer. This will be useful if they are in a place where a proper sink and bottle of soap is not available to them. There are a number of kid-friendly hand sanitizers that are effective in killing germs you can purchase for your child. Babyganics is a popular pediatric brand that offers foam hand sanitizers and wipes. Whatever brand of hand sanitizer you purchase, make sure it contains at least 60% alcohol.
3. Tissues
Tissues are always helpful for your child, regardless of whether or not there is a pandemic going on. Make sure you send them off with a portable pack of tissues before they leave for school. Teaching them how to properly use them will also be important. Try to find tissues that are both soft and durable. Dealing with a scratchy and flimsy tissue can be extremely uncomfortable for your child.
Recently, anti-viral tissues have grown in popularity. But many consumers wonder whether or not these tissues are actually effective. The patented Kleenex® Anti-Viral Tissue, for instance, claims to kill 99.9% of cold and flu viruses. This particular anti-viral tissue contains an anti-viral formula made of citric acid and sodium lauryl sulfate in its middle layer.
According to Kleenex, this special tissue can inactivate a number of different viruses such as Influenza A and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). However, it has not been tested against the coronavirus. And while it can decrease the risk of spreading the virus from a discarded tissue, it does not eliminate any viruses on or within your body. Compared to other practices like washing your hands and covering your coughs and sneezes, this special Kleenex will unlikely make a huge difference when it comes to preventing the spread of the flu or coronavirus.
Questions You Can Ask Your School Administrators
Make sure you understand the full game plan before your child returns to school
Returning to school may be a stressful time for your child with the pandemic going on. Some parents have decided to play it safe and keep their kids in online schooling. Others have decided to send their children back to in-person learning to give them a better educational experience. If you decide to send your child back to in-person lessons, you may feel a little anxious yourself about your child returning to school.
To ease both of your anxiety and stress, you should review the new safety measures your school is taking to help prevent the spread of the virus. In order to obtain a full picture of what classes in the fall will look like, you might want to ask your school about:
- What changes they have made to the classrooms, cafeteria, play yard, and hallways to make it easier for students, faculty, and staff to practice social distancing
- Whether or not they will be requiring students, faculty, and staff to wear masks
- If they will be stocking the classrooms up with extra hand sanitizer for students
- Whether they are screening parents, students, teachers, and other personnel for symptoms of COVID before allowing them into the building
- How they are handling after-school activities like sports or theatre practice
- What steps they are taking to minimize the use or need for shared equipment
These questions will help you ensure that your child’s school is following social distancing guidelines and regulations for keeping everyone safe and protected. However, you might have to take some steps yourself to help ease your child’s nerves about returning to school.
Helping Your Children Get Back to School
Here’s how you can make the transition back to school as smooth as possible
Typically, the fall is filled with excitement and joy about returning to school and reuniting with one’s friends. However, the pandemic has made thousands of kids nervous about returning to school. If your child is concerned about going back to school, you can help prepare them for a safe return and ease their worries using these techniques and methods.
Teach them how to properly wear a mask if they are young
Younger kids might be tempted to fiddle with their masks or touch their faces. It is crucial for you to teach them how to properly wear masks as well as the importance of wearing them and keeping their hands away from their faces.
Ease their nerves about wearing a mask to school
If they are afraid or nervous of the mask, you can make them less scary by helping them decorate the mask or even place one on their favorite stuffed animal. Masks are the most effective when wearers remain at least six feet from people outside their households, so make sure your children understand the importance of social distancing as well.
Help them get organized
Before your kids return to school, make sure they are up-to-date with any physical exams or immunizations for the year. Even in the midst of a pandemic, you need to keep your child’s health in tip-top shape with regular doctors appointments when necessary.
Pack nutritious lunches and snacks for them
Make sure your child stays energized and ready to learn throughout the day with a healthy lunch and some snacks. Helping your child follow a nutritious diet will make them ready to learn throughout the whole day!
Back to school time is always filled with a mixture of nerves and excitement. To make your child’s transition back to school as smooth as possible, make sure they have the proper supplies and social distancing knowledge to keep themselves safe.
