Many children are returning to school today for the first time since the lockdown started in March. As South Africa adapts to the Covid-19 pandemic and changing lockdown measures implemented to curb the spread of the disease, returning to school might bring about mixed feelings. 

Maybe you’re wondering how to keep your child, and by extension your family, safe from infection. How will they cope with the academic workload backlog? What happened to extra murals? 

Here are some helpful things to know:

1. Teach your kids about hygiene. This is one of the most effective tools to keep the virus at bay. The key here is washing hands: Before and after bathroom use, before meals and touching any unclean surfaces. Also, teach your kids to consider a surface as unclean unless they have seen it being cleaned.
2. Teach your kids to wear cloth face masks. If you’ve been out shopping or doing other activities out of the house with them, odds are you’ve already covered this. Reteach it and emphasise the importance of keeping these on during school time. Kids spend extended periods of time in class with each other and while spacing precautions have been taken, masks play a vital role in protecting people in these environments.
3. Try and find some games that avoid physical contact. Word games, games that require imitation and games that use dramatic improvisation can be very stimulating and fun for kids. Playing these games in groups also helps the children get back to socialising but is perfectly playable without compromising social distancing.
4. Bear in mind that many of the beloved before school and after school activities kids participate in are not yet allowed under current restrictions. This includes sport matches, choir practices, performances and festivals, as well as eisteddfods. During this time, it can be particularly beneficial to sign your children up for individual sports and artistic activities. Golf, chess, individual music lessons or art will give your child a space to do something physical or expressive. They might even discover hidden talents and undiscovered passions in the process!
5. Keep a close eye on your children’s mental health. Major disruptions to daily life can cause understandable anxieties in us all. Keep a close eye for any abnormal behaviour. UNICEF has laid out some really helpful points to discuss with your kids, ways to deal with acting out and pulling back, and approaches on how you as a parent can be aware of what to look out for.
6. Kids have missed a lot of work during the lockdown. The Department of Education and teachers have spent heaps of time adapting the curriculum to be sure kids don’t miss out on important work while maintaining a reasonable workload. It’s vital that parents get involved in their kids’ education during this time. Make sure that homework gets done, keep an eye on the test calendar and engage with your child’s teachers. If your child is struggling with the workload, contact the teacher and try co-operate to find a solution that gets the work done but doesn’t unreasonably strain your child. Teachers care about your children’s academic wellbeing and are dedicated to safeguarding it. Support them in this and they will move any mountains they can for their students.

The South African government has published useful resources and tips for the return to school. Going back to school might seem daunting as children and parents face new, unusual challenges, but it also brings with it the promise of returning to some semblance of normality, and no doubt a sigh of relief from parents who’ve been cooped up with bored kids. - Jan de Lange