Parenting Page

Helping Your Child Return To School

Children will be feeling all kinds of emotions on returning to school. It is important that you keep them positive while at the same time acknowledging their feelings and concerns. 

Have a conversation with your child/ren about their return to school even if you think they are OK. Sometimes children just need you to prompt them into talking and sharing their feelings. 

Reassure your child/ren that their teachers and the school are doing all they can to keep them safe, reconnect with their friends and support them with their learning.

Ask your child/ren about all the good things at school and refresh their memories about what they enjoy about school.

Ask your child what will be the same at school... teacher, classroom, friends, play, learning, Mrs Charadia, Mrs A, hand sanitising, uniform, having fun.

Ask your child what they think might be different...  teachers wearing masks, dismissal, assembly via zoom, lining up, only playing with their grade.

On the first day back

Try to get organised the day before:

• work with your child to get their uniform ready
• talk to your child about what food they will take to school, crunch and sip, recess and lunch
• talk about what time they need to go to bed the day before and what time they need to get out of bed
• create a morning schedule this week or next week with your child for the first few days back and include breakfast, getting dressed, making their bed, getting their food and drink ready, making sure they have their hat, iPad, learning resources such as pencil case, packing their bag, what time they are leaving for school...

Get back into a morning routine quickly.

Make sure your child knows how they are getting home at the end of the school day.

Build up some excitement about going back to school and be very positive.

Is your child worried or overly anxious?

If you are concerned about your child's return because they seem worried or overly anxious, please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher for support. You can also contact Mrs Charadia if you would like to access the school counsellor or pastoral support worker, Cecilia Welsh.

Mr Aguilera is also available for the pastoral needs of students and he loves to help students. Please feel free to contact him.

Stories to help your child return to school.

Social stories are a great way to reassure children. Two social stories are attached below so feel free to download them and print them off. Make sure you use them daily until your child returns to school.

Managing separation anxiety

... and you?

Check-in with your own feelings about your children returning to school, if you are anxious or worried make sure that this is not passed on to your child. Children often respond in the way parents do.

Once your child/ren are at school do something for yourself, you deserve it!

Tips for Parents in the Digital Age

​​In a world where children are "growing up digital," it's important to help them learn healthy concepts of digital use and citizenship. Parents play an important role in teaching these skills. Here are four simple tips parents can put into place right now!

Set limits and encourage playtime. Media use, like all other activities, should have reasonable limits. Unstructured and offline play stimulates creativity. Make unplugged playtime a daily priority. 

Screen time shouldn't always be alone time. Co-view, co-play and co-engage with your children when they are using screens—​it encourages social interactions, bonding, and learning. Play a video game with your children. It's a good way to demonstrate good sportsmanship and gaming etiquette. Watch a show with them; you will have the opportunity to introduce and share your own life experiences and perspectives—and guidance. Don't just monitor them online—interact with them, so you can understand what they are doing and be a part of it. 

Don't use technology as an emotional pacifier. Media can be very effective in keeping kids calm and quiet, but it should not be the only way they learn to calm down. Children need to be taught how to identify and handle strong emotions, come up with activities to manage boredom, or calm down through breathing, talking about ways to solve the problem, and finding other strategies for channelling emotions.

Please click on the attachment below for some APP FACT SHEETS you will find very useful. I would like to highlight the age rating and how important it is that you ensure that your child/ren do not have accounts or access apps with a rating above their age. Please note that Common Sense Media also provides you with detailed information about apps and the recommended age rating, which often differs from the app provider age rating. 

If you have any questions or wish to discuss any of the information here please contact Mr Aguilera.  

Parental As Anything Podcast 

Presented by Maggie Dent  

Maggie Dent is one of Australia's pre-eminent and much-loved parenting authors and educators. She's an advocate for kids and parents alike and is known for her common-sense approach to parenting.

How much screen time should you let your kids have? How do you talk to your tweens and teens about sex and consent? How do you keep your cool when your child throws a tantrum?

Maggie Dent, one of Australia's favourite parenting authors and educators gives you practical tips and answers to your real-world parenting dilemmas.

Maggie talks to parenting experts from around the world to find practical solutions to the challenges every parent is facing today.

She'll help you be the parent you really want to be and give you ideas on how you can raise healthy kids who thrive.

Listen for free from the ABC listen app, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. 

Access is also available via this linkhttps://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/parental-as-anything-with-maggie-dent/

Need Help with Devices and the Internet at Home?

The eSafety Commissioner website helps Australians to have safer, more positive experiences online. The site has a parent page that provides advice for parents and carers to help children have safe experiences online.  eSafety Commissioner. 

ADDITIONAL SHORT ARTICLES FROM 'PARENTING IDEAS'