By now, your child (and possibly you) has been back to school for up to a month. It’s tough during a global pandemic — as parents, you have to trust your kid and trust their teachers to enforce proper health standards like wearing a mask or washing their hands frequently. This is especially difficult if you have a younger child or a teenager in a crowded high school.
At IV Revival, nothing is more important to us than your health. If you notice your kid or their classmates are starting to get more and more lax with heath standards, here are a few things you can do to help protect yourself and them from COVID-19.
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself, your family, and others when they’re in school.
Prepping Your Family
Even if you’ve already gone over what your children should and shouldn’t do at school, it is always a good idea to give them a refresher every once in a while. . The first thing to know is how your kid’s classroom is arranged.
Here are the most popular options:
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In-person class: Dividing students and teachers into distinct groups that stay together throughout an entire school day during in-person classroom instruction.
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The goal for this is to have at least 6 feet of social distancing between every desk and the teacher. However, this is unrealistic in some schools.
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Hybrid: A mix of virtual learning and in-class learning to maximize social distancing
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Virtual/at-home only: Students and teachers engage in online classes, activities, and events
You should also be familiar with local COVID-19 testing.
Planning for In-Person Classes
Being in school is hard right now — it’s not fun to wear a mask going to the grocery store, so imagine wearing it when you’re trying to learn. While it is 100% necessary, it’s tough on kids and teachers. If the state or school doesn’t have a mandate, it’s very likely that not all students will be wearing masks throughout the day. This is why talking with your children to reiterate the importance of protecting their health is so important.
The CDC created a checklist to help with back to school planning for the 2020-2021 school year for in-person learning and hybrid classes.
For in person classes, make it a routine to check your child’s temperature every morning before school. If it exceeds 100.4 degrees, they should stay home.
While taking their temperature, ask them if they have a sore throat, pay attention to a cough, and look for other signs of an illness or fever, including diarrhea, a severe headache, or body aches. If they display any of the symptoms, they should stay home.
If you suspect your child has come into contact with someone with COVID-19, keep them home and get them tested immediately.
If your child is staying home, notify their school. It would be smart to notify them when you are taking them to be tested and keep them posted on the results. If your child tests positive, inform their school immediately.
Things To Do At Home To Help
If you haven’t done this already, ensure that your child is up-to-date with their vaccines, including the flu. This is especially important this year because we do not yet know if being sick with COVID-19 at the same time as the flu will result in more severe illness.
Review proper handwashing techniques with your younger child, especially before eating, after sneezing or coughing, and adjusting their mask. If you can, make it a fun game or sing a song with them to get them into the routine.
Finally, make sure your child has a sanitized and clean water bottle every day for school. Their school may not be allowing the use of drinking fountains, and even if they do, it’s unsanitary. Stick on the safe side and supply your child with a full and clean reusable water bottle every morning.
Finally, develop a routine for when your child comes home. Instead of walking in and going straight to the kitchen or their room, if they are using disposable masks, teach them to dispose of their mask in the trash can by the door, put their backpack in the designated area, take everything they need out of their pack and sanitize their binders and books, use hand sanitizer, and sanitize the door handles. If you have someone who is at-risk in the family, you may want to have them change their clothes and put them in the laundry bin immediately after coming home.
Re-Establish Ground Rules While At School
While you’re going over the routines again, you should re-establish the following rules:
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Talk to your child about precautions to take at school. Children may be advised to:
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Wash and sanitize their hands more often.
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Keep physical distance from other students.
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Wear a mask.
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Avoid sharing objects with other students, including water bottles, devices, writing instruments, and books.
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Use hand sanitizer (that contains at least 60% alcohol) when hand washing isn’t available
Take Care of Yourself Too
Don’t forget to take care of yourself during this time too. As a parent or student, you’ll need to be on the top of your game. That’s where IV Revival comes in. We offer immune-system boosting treatments that can hydrate you, help protect you, and have no chance of vitamin toxicity. Our registered nurses will come to your home or office to administer treatment too!
If you’re interested in learning more, contact IV Revival today.