The post-pandemic return to school is on us, again. Children, parents and carers all have strong feelings about this process, some positive, some negative. Sometimes we have both positive and negative emotions at the same time. It’s all very confusing. The Elite Nanny Guide to returning to school cuts through the confusion to help you all manage the transition well.
Talking helps
- Children often find it difficult to talk about their anxieties, either because they don’t have the vocabulary to express their concerns or are worried about burdening parents who have already had to cope with a lot of change, so pick a good talk time. Walks, or car trips are great, as you don’t have to look at each other which makes it easier to open up. Some children find it easier to talk to their nanny and ask her to convey the message, and it’s important to note that this is not because of a lack of closeness, often it’s the opposite, and a young person just doesn’t feel they can discuss something important to them with a parent without breaking down. This is particularly common in adolescence where children want to be seen as adults by their parents.
- Explain that any concern is valid and important. There’s no such thing as a trivial anxiety. Children are currently worried about the virus, but also about testing in their schools, about whether their friends will show up or stay home, about how break times and lunch will be handled, and about the difference between classroom and at home education and how they’ve coped. Sometimes it helps to just talk about the routine of a school day and see where your child chips in with concerns.
Universal coping mechanisms
We all have ways of coping: calling a chum, going for a jog, practising deep breathing, taking a long bath etc. For children, coping mechanisms may be a new idea, or a not-well developed one. Simply helping your children create a list of (healthy) coping mechanisms can be a great step forward in managing concerns about challenging situations. For example, in the return to school, stopping and using hand sanitiser when stressed is both an emotional coping mechanism (the pause helps calm the body and mind) and a problem-solving mechanism (using sanitiser helps protect us from the virus). Young children may need somebody to suggest a coping mechanism … a nanny, a teacher, a parent – so sharing this system with your child’s school is a useful tool.
Simply sleep
It’s easer said than done, but a good sleep routine is vital to the reduction of anxiety but also builds a resilient immune system to fight off disease. A good sleep routine also serves as a coping mechanism because it provides a fixed point of relaxation and calm at the end of the day which is much more likely to transition into a good start the following morning. Things to consider include calming aromas like pillow sleep sprays, a nightlight that is on the amber to red spectrum, good sleep hygiene such as ending screen time at least an hour before bed, having a warm bath etc. Creating a good sleep routine with your nanny and ensuring your child sticks to it will give them a better adjustment to the changing circumstances of the return to school.