As Pakistan continues its miraculous and successful journey towards reduced Covid-19 cases, provincial governments have decided to open schools with strict SOPs. Pakistani parents, in the meanwhile, are hanging in between the fear of sending kids off to school amidst this pandemic and keeping them at home with disturbed routine, learning and emotional health.
Erica Lee, a psychologist from Boston Children’s Hospital, asserted that “Sitting with uncertainty is stressful for everyone. But trying to fight uncertainty actually makes it worse. Instead, being able to accept situations as they are allows people to also accept the emotions that come with those situations, and then to cope with them”.
Whether situation remains favorable or not, parents and students need to be prepared for an altered school environment sooner or later. This pandemic has changed the back-to-school regime unlike anything before. Psychologists, infectious disease specialists, centers for disease control, and pediatricians around the globe are now providing guidelines for parents on how to prepare their children for this new reality and lifestyle. Based on guidelines by Department of Primary and Secondary Healthcare Pakistan, World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this article summarizes most practical and significant suggestions for Pakistani parents and students.
Prepare yourself and your children Psychologically First!
- Understand that children are resilient by nature to change, however, parents need to compose themselves first by keeping a positive and flexible attitude towards any change in policies regarding schools. With uncertainty that prevails with coronavirus in Pakistan, parents should discuss with children that schools might resume or even close after resuming and there will always be another way to ensure their future learning process.
- Children of younger age can be very excited to meet their friends and play, however, parents need to talk them into the new norms of greetings and games in schools. Children should be well aware of risks that they are going to face with social interaction and how they can avoid them.
- Talk your child into being open about any issue that they face after joining school like lagging in studies due to the break taken in previous months, shyness and introversion that became a part of them due to isolation during lockdown and any fears from their peers who are reluctant to follow SOPs.
Use this time as practice time for kids in the new Covid-19 world
- Get children into practicing right way of washing hands and wearing masks with people around them by encouraging that at home first. Teach the kids right way to get rid of germs and not touch their faces or noses as they are used to at home.
- Parents can arrange informal meetup of children or young adults prior to school opening in open or ventilated spaces. With parents present at the meetup, children can be taught about the social distancing and behavior that is expected of them after the schools open.
Keep Close contact with Teachers and Administration
- Due to constantly evolving situation, schools will be changing their policies and SOP guidelines every now and then to adjust to prevailing conditions. Parents need to keep closer contact with teachers and administration of school to keep themselves updated about any changes. Moreover, parents should openly discuss any issues that children are facing in current situation with teachers as well to provide extra support for adjusting children.
Prepare your SOP Kit and Learn about Covid-19 signs/ symptoms
- Punjab government has ordered all schools to provide students with sanitizers out of their budget, however, parents need to prepare complete Covid-19 kit for children along with other essential items in school bags.
- Small bottle of sanitizer, extra mask, wipes and pair of gloves should be available with the child all the time in school.
- Infrared or normal thermometer should be kept at home along with age-appropriate Panadol, vitamin C and honey. Check your child’s body temperature every morning before sending to school. If temperature is 100.4 F or above, do not send them to school and take care of his/her fever first.
- Check your children for sore throat, cough, body aches, diarrhea, vomit and constant headaches. In case of such symptoms, avoid sending to school until illness resolves. Note that due to lockdown, immune system of adults and kids have been compromised in a new way and exposure to outside world and people can cause little irritation in form of mild cough and throat itchiness in beginning. Moreover, wearing masks for a longer period can also cause mild irritation in throats initially and therefore, parents need to carefully evaluate the wellness of child to avoid panic.
- Prepare and pack healthy and nutritious meals for your children to take to school along with large water bottles to avoid any sharing between the children. Since the canteens are ordered to be closed by government, children should be taught to avoid exchanging glasses or eating utensils with friends.
Other preventive measures to consider
- Update contacts of Covid-19 testing centers and relevant doctors near your place for future requirement.
- Keep your child updated with all required immunization vaccines recommended by doctors including any flu vaccine needed according to season.
- Plan ahead for any unforeseen event by preparing a quarantine place at home.
- Ensure that elders and family members with weak immune system are at distance from school going children.
- Ensure that children maintain routine of washing hands and taking bath after coming back from school before joining the rest of family.
- Constantly reinforce the concept and significance of social distancing to your child while bringing positives of going to school and spending time with their friends.
