Parenting During COVID-19: How To Prepare Kids For Going Back To School

Children have a wide range of emotions about the uncertainty of returning to school. Here's how parents can help.
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Since the coronavirus pandemic started upending our lives just a few short months ago, parents across the country have faced major challenges at home. We’re no longer just parents; we’ve become teachers, camp counselors and child care providers, all while many of us have been trying to hold down jobs.

Here at HuffPost Parenting, we’ve reported on everything from how to get your child to wear a face mask to the mental health signs that your kid is struggling, from how birth has changed over the past few months to life skills you can teach your children at home. It’s been an assault on all fronts of our lives, and our Parenting team has strived to do what we can to help caregivers through this unprecedented time.

Our first virtual event, How To Handle Your Own Emotions And Anxiety About Back To School, helped parents emotionally prepare for the back-to-school season ― whatever that looks like ― and offered expert-backed tips to get there. In our next live event, we’ll discuss how to get your kids emotionally prepared for school, in all its forms. 

Please join us on Wednesday, August 19, at 8 p.m. EST for a virtual forum featuring Kate Auletta, HuffPost’s senior culture and parenting editor, and Rebecca Kennedy, a New York-based psychologist and mom of three.

Kennedy doles out helpful advice for parents of all ages, particularly those with younger kids, as Dr. Becky on Instagram. She role-plays common scenarios that parents will recognize, from how to handle boo-boos to how to get your kids to apologize without forcing them. She often films herself role-playing kids’ emotional responses to certain topics, which have been particularly helpful during the pandemic.

In the conversation with Auletta and Kennedy, they will discuss the emotional and mental health aspects of kids’ return to school ― whatever that might look like. The ways in which parents prepare their children for uncertainty and talk about what’s happening are paramount to how children will remember this unique time.

Go here to sign up for the event. After registration, you will get a confirmation email with a link to register on Zoom.

We look forward to seeing you on Zoom!

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