6 minute read
Back to school
What will 2022 be like for our students?
ANXIOUS ABOUT THE RETURN TO SCHOOL? HAPPILY, THE ROAD AHEAD IS LARGELY POSITIVE FOR OUR CHILDREN
WORDS DILVIN YASA From lockdowns and homeschooling to limited access to friends, sport and other extracurricular activities, you can’t deny that the past year (or two) has been quite a departure from a typical Aussie childhood. As our kids gear up to return to the classroom for 2022, parental relief is tempered with a long line of questions including: Has my child fallen behind academically? What if they struggle to reintegrate into the classroom routine?
The good news? The solutions are often far simpler than we realise.
Safety first
Although we know the Delta strain is substantially more infectious than earlier variants of the virus, it is important to remember that (in most cases) it remains a mild illness for our younger population, infectious diseases pediatrician Professor Robert Booy explains.
“The majority of children won’t show any symptoms, and some will experience cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose and fatigue,” Prof Booy says.
Of the Covid deaths to date, it’s important to note that only one of those was under the age of 10 (it was reported she had ‘serious comorbidities’) and two were aged between 10 and 19*.
Prof Booy stated that of those who were in intensive care at the time of our interview “only a handful” were in pediatric intensive care.
That said, a small percentage of children who have a chronic medical illness, such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or a chronic heart, lung or liver condition (for example), are at risk of becoming ill.
For this reason, Prof Booy says universal vaccinations remain a good idea.
Covid-19 vaccinations are now mandatory for all teaching staff in New South Wales and Victoria. It is expected most high school students will be vaccinated by the time school returns for 2022 thanks to the rollout of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for students aged 12 and up.
Those aged 5-11 were set to be approved for vaccination early in the new year.
Focus on mental health
If your kids are worried about returning to school, it’s a natural fear to have, Beyond Blue clinical advisor Dr Grant Blashki explains.
“Our children have spent the past year worrying if they — or their family or friends — will get Covid, and these fearful feelings are likely to continue as they get ready for their first day back at school,” Dr Blashki says.
Parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson adds high school kids are likely to have a tougher time of it, with mask mandates and conflict over vaccines adding to the mental load.
“They might feel terrified of going to school with unvaccinated peers and there could be social fallout related to who is and isn’t double jabbed,” says Dr Coulson, the author of several parenting books including Miss-connection.
Fortunately, our children are far more resilient and flexible than we give them credit for, with most happily slotting back into “regular life” with minimal concern. “We have no evidence from past experience to draw on so we can really only
— Dr Justin Coulson
rely on theoretical evidence,” Dr Coulson admits.
“My best guess is most kids will be fine. School has a nice natural routine and rhythm to it, and the majority will be relieved and feel grateful to re-enter it.”
Keep an eye out for unusual activity or disturbances but, for the most part, remember to focus on the positives, Dr Blashki adds.
“Keep up the hope — remind kids of the positives that surround Covid. By shifting the way they think about the virus, we help to empower them,” he says.
A word on academics
Whether you’re a numbers person or far from it, it’s hard to dispute Dr Coulson’s logic when it comes to concerns your child has “fallen behind”.
“You have to take the long view. If your child has missed a couple of terms out of the 52 they’ll enjoy throughout their primary and secondary schooling, it’s not very much in the grand scheme of things,” Dr Coulson says.
“The vast majority of teachers know what kids should be doing and how to get them there and we, as parents, often do not. Trust your child’s teachers to do their job.”
Dr Blashki agrees that it’s important for parents to lower their expectations, explaining that it’s more important that our children don’t have added pressures at this time.
“They’ll catch up eventually, so keep your focus on ensuring they feel happy, healthy and secure,” he says. struggling? IS YOUR CHILD Common signs of depression and/or anxiety include: • Withdrawal from friends and family • Low mood and tearfulness
• Sleep disturbances and/or change in appetite • Uncharacteristic outbursts of anger
NEED HELP GETTING KIDS BACK INTO THE SCHOOL ROUTINE? SCAN THE QR CODE
— Carol Markie-Dadds
Improving social skills
In the weeks leading up to the first day of school, start locking in social engagements that fit within the parameters of your local restrictions, Triple P International country director Carol MarkieDadds advises.
“With young ones, in particular, it can help ease anxiety if you also organise to walk to school with their friend for that first week to help get them settled in,” Carol says.
Humans are hardwired to connect with others, so feel reassured our kids will instinctively know what to do. That doesn’t mean we can’t push a few social activities their way, of course.
“Encourage play dates for little ones, time to hang out for older kids and, where you can, try to get the kids involved with extracurricular activities where friendships with like-minded kids can form,” Dr Coulson advises. “If you belong to a religious organisation or cultural group, make sure the kids are involved with that also.”
What’s just as important is that you don’t leave social activities to chance, Carol says.
“Just as we schedule time for work, we should schedule daily slots for fun, whether it’s playing games, doing arts and crafts or playing in the garden, otherwise it can get overlooked in the rush of the new school year.”
Finally, remember to stop, relax and enjoy these moments, Dr Coulson says. “Your kids don’t need to be fixed, they only need to be loved.”
FOR WHAT OTHER PARENTS WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT KIDS STARTING SCHOOL VISIT HOUSEOFWELLNESS.COM.AU
Beyond Blue (beyondblue.org.au), Headspace (headspace.org.au) and Kids Helpline (kidshelpline.com.au) have great resources for school-aged children, but engaging the school and your child’s GP is an important first step in cases where issues are more serious.
