Some Realities
Getting back to behavioral preparation, there are some realities that you will have to accept when you send your children to school.
Kids will disobey the rules. It’s part of being kids. You would think it wouldn’t be so, but infection rates for older kids are higher than for younger kids partly because older kids are more likely to disobey and not tell anyone when they do.
So prepare yourself for this. You will have to figure out a way to make it clear that putting themselves and others in danger is not okay, but you understand that the whole situation around new awareness of pandemics has been isolating and frustrating for many young people. You know your child better than me or anyone else. I’m just recommending a balanced approach with acceptance that sometimes kids break the rules and sometimes the consequences are dire. No matter how dire they are though, a bad time is when people in a family need each other the most. Alienating your children will be more deadly than encouraging them and forgiving them when they mess up.
Even if your kids are PPE perfect angels, someone else’s will mess up. The schools are often unable to stop bullying, so there’s no way that if they can’t stop emotional and physical abuse, they’ll magically be able to stop the spread of disease. In fact, exposure has already become a standard bullying and intimidation tactic among aggressively inconsiderate and hostile people during this pandemic.
So instruct your kids on what to do if they have been non consensually exposed, or if someone near them has or is about to be. Teach them how to use their notebooks or other items as shields, and how to clean themselves if someone has spit on them. Teach them what to do if their mask has been removed or damaged or things have been stolen from them.
Unfortunately not everyone has the option of staying away from school or distance/partial distance learning, but we can do our best to limit the damage. As usual if you have any other suggestions or questions, feel free to make a comment.
Blessings and Ashé!
