Helping children get back to school

Reassure your child that it is safe to go to school

Many parents had conversations with their children about the importance of learning from home to keep them healthy and safe. Some children may now worry about the safety of returning to school.

To help your child feel safe, have a conversation with them explaining that:

• the decision to return to school is based on medical advice
• everyone at school is working hard to make sure that children are safe
• anyone who is unwell will stay at home
• the government is keeping an eye on the situation – if it starts to be unsafe, decisions about what to do will be made
• reassure your child that it is normal to have mixed emotions such as excitement, relief, worry and anger
• discuss what they are looking forward to and what they are worrying about
• reinforce good hygiene practices.

Prepare your child for any changes

Your school may have made changes to its normal processes. Your school will communicate these changes with you – these may vary across schools. To help prepare your child:

• talk to your child about upcoming changes – the more they understand the changes, the more comfortable they are likely to feel about them
• write social stories with your child about changes to routine
• ask to have an extra online one-on-one session between the teacher and/or a learning support worker and your child before going back to school
• see if there are any strategies that home learning enabled that you might be able to take to the classroom
• ask your child what will make transition back to school easier and see if this can be accommodated by your child’s teacher, for example, knowing the class seating plan or the first activity of the day may help.

Some schools may not allow parents to walk children to their classroom. This may make it harder for some children to separate from parents. Prepare your child for this by:

• discussing what might be different about the drop-off and pick-up procedures and how you will manage it as a family
• talk through the new procedure and role play or write social stories
• reassure your child that there will be plenty of staff to help take them to their classrooms
• ask your child if there is anything that will make this easier for them, such as arriving at school with a buddy or taking a special item that helps them feel ‘brave’.

Re-establish normal routines in the lead up to school

1. The week before: Return children to their usual wake up and bedtime routines, as well as breakfast and morning snack/lunch.
2. The day before: Involve your child in packing their bag and preparing their uniform – this leaves you plenty of time to notice if anything is forgotten.
3. The morning of: Allow more time than usual to get ready.

At the end of the day

After school, it will be important to:

• talk to your child about their day, including what they enjoyed, what they felt worried about and what they are looking forward to tomorrow
• schedule extra family time as your child is likely to have missed being at home with you
• your child may feel more fatigued and will benefit from quiet activities to recharge.

As parents and carers, if you need extra support or clarity in regards to your child’s needs and learning challenges, referral to an appropriate psychologist for a detailed assessment and advice may be warranted. For example, a paediatric neuropsychologist can provide a differential diagnosis and strategies, and direct you to an appropriate special education tutor or any other healthcare specialist that may be required.

There are number of ways to access a psychologist. You can use the Australia-wide Find a Psychologist service by visiting findapsychologist.org.au or call 1800 333 497, or ask your GP or another health professional to refer you.

This resource was prepared by The Australian Psychological Society. For more useful information, visit psychology.org.au