Fall is here, and parents in Toronto are busy preparing their kids for the new term. Yes, if you’ve been wondering when do kids go back to school this Fall, the answer is Mid-September 2020. Possibly. But health-related realities of COVID-19 are posing some unprecedented challenges not only to the parents but also to the kids, schools, and authorities.
If this is what you are worried about, then you are in the right place. There are measures and steps you can take to ensure you increase the chances of containing the spread of this pandemic while keeping in mind the risks involved with the return of in-person learning. Consider the following.
Entrench new preventive habits in the kids’ behavior
As schools get ready to reopen, kids will have to embrace and sustain new behavioral patterns. Non-medical facemasks are a must-have at all times for students attending Grade 4 to Grade 12. Although these masks are not mandatory for kids in kindergarten to Grade 3, there’s no harm in training your kid to wear one, especially when in shared spaces.
There is no better person to create this awareness than you, the parent. You do this not only by waxing lyrical about the benefits of wearing masks but also by being a living example of shielding your face every time you are out in public places with the kids. Make sure they understand that this is for their own good.
Washing their hands using the relevant sanitizers as frequently as possible is another habit that these kids have to hold dear. Train your children right from home by encouraging them to wash their hands as frequently as possible. You can even place some washbasins with flowing water in strategic locations at home and encourage them to wash their hands every time they pass near the basins.
Kids love to play and share play items and equipment. Let them understand that times have changed. These play items can be the agents that transmit these viruses and other pathogens to them.
Social distancing is yet another behavioral quality that you should emphasize to your beloved kids. The kids must understand why their friends have become people to stay at least a couple of feet from. It’s meant to protect everyone from contracting the virus through the air.
Perhaps one tricky part of this preparation is ensuring the kids don’t touch their own noses, eyes, and mouths. It’s common for children to touch these parts of their faces out of instinct and in reaction to an itch, swelling, or just as a tick. It’s going to be hard and constant work, but they have to learn to always think twice and wash their hands constantly before touching their faces.
Unnecessary contact with touch-prone surfaces should be discouraged right from home. You can train the kids to do this by asking them to identify such surfaces at home and have them avoid touching such surfaces unnecessarily. If they have to touch such surfaces, then they should sanitize their hands and the affected surfaces immediately.
Most importantly, as a parent, make sure you take the lead in teaching your kids how to “self-monitor” for symptoms COVID 19 and other flu-like illnesses. The kids should know what symptoms to look for and the need to take immediate action in case they think they have the slightest indication of these symptoms.
Prepare the kids for changes in the usual timing for bathroom breaks, recesses, and lunches which will be staggered to support social distancing. Prior awareness of these facts so will help the kid to readjust to the new realities when they return to school.
Extra help at home
It’s clear from the above tips that the best place for parents in Toronto to start preparing your kids for school this fall is at home. Get a professional cleaning company’s services to make your home a model the kids can learn from.At No More Chores, we are a leading cleaning company providing top-notch cleaning of high-touch surfaces to prevent COVID 19. The services ensure you and your kids live in a well-cleaned environment that reduces anxiety and boosts your family’s immune system.