School Nurse
Nurse Cecile
When children are back at school after COVID-19 isolation.
Starting back at school can be tiring, especially for younger children. Adjusting to school routines takes time. And schools will probably focus on helping children reconnect with friends and teachers, follow classroom routines, and learn to work in peer groups again. In some situations, this might even be more important than learning activities.
It means your child will probably have some ups and downs. That’s OK. The main thing is for your child to feel positive about being back at school. The rest will come with time and support.
These tips can help when children first go back to school:
- Make sure your child gets plenty of healthy food, physical activity and sleep.
- Make time for doing something special with your child in the afternoon or evening. It could be something like going for a walk after work or a cuddle and book before bed.
- Keep your family routines predictable, and make time for family activities. For example, try to make time for family meals as often as possible, or have family games or movie nights on the weekend.
- If your child is ready and has enough energy, get them back into some of their usual extracurricular activities.
- Try to stop what you’re doing and listen when your child wants to talk about school. Be patient if your child wants to tell you all the details.
- If your child doesn’t want to talk at all, try a conversation starter like, ‘Tell me one good thing and one bad thing about your day’ or ‘I noticed that you seem very sad today. I wonder why that is?’
- Help your child practice self-compassion if they’re feeling tired or finding it hard to adjust. For example, they could say, ‘I’m trying my hardest. It’s OK if I can’t remember how to do that maths problem’.
If children are struggling with returning to school after COVID-19 isolation or lockdown
Signs that children are struggling include changes in your child’s behaviour and emotions, like:
- sleeping more
- eating less
- seeming less interested in doing things
- withdrawing from you
- not actively participating in conversations
- being more clingy, grumpy or angry than usual
- refusing to go to school.
If you notice these signs or you just feel worried about how your child is coping, it’s important to get help as soon as possible.
Make sure you speak with your child's teacher if you have noticed any signs of your child struggling so they can help put support in place at school to help.
Further information can be found on the Australian Parenting Website raisingchildren.net.au
Remember, if you or your child test positive to COVID - please let me know so we can inform your child's teachers, and maintain records as per DET requirements.
I hope you stay well and healthy at this time.
Kind regards,
Nurse Cecile