How to Ease the Uncertainty of the New School Year

Parents are excited that schools are reopening and extracurricular activities are happening IRL (in real life) this fall, but many are concerned about how dependable these in-person schedules are given the rise of COVID cases.

The only thing we are certain about is that there is more uncertainty ahead! So, here are our top 3 tips on preparing for the worst case scenario - another school shut down.

1) Have a conversation with your partner and your workplace 

Sit down with your partner to talk about how the two of you will manage if your schools shut down again. Not only who can work from home, but also all related care while the kids are home (ie - helping them set up remote learning, making them lunch, getting them a snack, keeping an eye on their wellbeing). 

Once you have an idea of your responsibilities at home, sharing them with your employers is smart, too! Every company has different policies in terms of being in-person, having a hybrid schedule, or being fully remote. Share your plans with your boss and ask for what you need to be supported. For example, if you are on task at home to help the kids set up remote learning, you may want to ask that all team meetings be scheduled for after 10am.  

If you are a people leader, encourage your employees to have this conversation with you! It shows your commitment to their wellbeing and allows you to hear what your team needs so you can create schedules and organize meetings accordingly.

2) Consider outside help

There are only so many hours in the day and you can only be in one place (mentally and physically) at any particular time. There will be times and situations where neither you nor your partner can pick up the extra childcare responsibilities. And for our single parents out there, we know all the responsibilities fall on you! 

Instead of increasing your stress levels and wearing yourself thin (remember parenting during a pandemic is running an ultramarathon, not a spirit), consider getting outside help! That may be:

• getting outside family members involved to help (ie - an older niece or nephew to come and play with the kids)

• hiring a part-time professional babysitter to help with remote learning or cover for days when you need to be in the office

• Outsourcing your non-childcare chores like cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping so you can spend the time on childcare.

Have your childcare backup plan ready to go as schools will give little to no advance notice about needing to shut down when a COVID case is discovered in schools. 

3) Stay flexible and adaptable 

COVID-19 has affected all of our well-being and attitudes towards the view of the situation. Demonstrating a flexible mindset and being adaptable will also help your children feel safe, stable, and secure when everything around them is changing. 

Staying flexible and adaptable during this pandemic is key to keeping sane and calm. This means, have a plan, but know that it might all need to change overnight and be okay with needing to switch plans. This is why it’s good to have a Plan B, Plan C, and even Plan D! It’s much easier to switch plans than being caught off guard and scrambling to pull a new one together on the spot.

Encouraging your children to also develop an adaptable mindset can help them stay positive and spur creativity. Instead of thinking, “I won't be able to hang out with my friends and do the things I love,” help your child think “how can I hang out with my friends in a different way?”

This might include meeting up in an outdoor park to play or meeting online to play games virtually. They could even form a pod to stay connected with a small group of friends. Let them get creative!  

Apiari can match you to a vetted provider, whether you need childcare, enrichment, or learning pods at any time. Searching for a provider now will help bring you peace of mind. Start the interview process and have a meet-and-greet to start building a relationship for when any circumstances arise.

We’re all in this together. The only thing we know for certain is that none of us are alone in the situations that can come up in the uncertainty of COVID-19. Buckle down and get ready for another interesting school year!