Fall Re-Entry Reminders
🌟Weekly Inspiration🌟
Breathe. You’ve been waiting for this and now it’s here! This is the most normal start to fall in three years. It feels like we can all be optimistic for a more typical year for our children ❤️.
If there are no significant health concerns in your family, please allow your kids to return to school without a mask. Ongoing fear when your family circumstances do not place your loved ones at significant risk is not good for their long-term mental health.
Talk with your children about what to expect. Encourage them to have an open mind.
Kids and parents are rusty at the routine after summer (and still moving slower after the last 2.5years), but we can get back in the swing of things. Prioritize sleep.
Patience with each other as we adjust. Empathy with what the kids are going through. Think about your tone of voice. Every conversation is an opportunity for connection.
Encourage resistant or socially anxious children to re-engage with the world.Know that challenging their fears is ultimately good for them—as they see themselves coping with hard situations, they will become more resilient. This school year holds the opportunity to "be seen" without a mask, to engage in sports/clubs/music in a robust way again—this will make some kids especially nervous...nudge them along.
Anxiety decreases as one faces their fears. Avoidance of the stressor breeds more anxiety. Keep this in mind as children resist or express anxiety this fall.
Expect that your own grief, over what has been lost these past years, may well up as they begin school. There has been loss associated with parenting each age group during this time.
Stay present—make the Next Best Decision for your family, one day at a time.
Academics: Take the long view—remember that they have to adjust, there has been learning loss, and now they will have to recalibrate being back in the classroom fully.
Tell them the stories of their own strength of character and resilience over the years. Remind them of their previous successes, adjustment to changes, and challenges that they've faced.