the mask of resiliency

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Masking, sanitizing, handwashing, distancing, isolating, and 24-hour news coverage; the Corona Virus (COVID19) has been a challenge and continues to be imprinted on our psyches.  It has changed how we conduct business, engage in services, shop, travel, socialize, and perhaps, our sense of emotional and physical well-being. 

Our children are not sheltered from knowing of COVID19.  The return to school will feel different this year as buildings open and resume synchronous learning that will include the aforementioned safety precautions and other new routines.

As a clinical social worker, who works in the schools, the students have been on my mind and the minds of my colleagues as we administer best practices for maintaining a safe campus.  If you are the parent, guardian, relative, or other interested party, your role is important in supporting the resiliency of our students.

Applying the mask of resiliency includes:

• Providing your student with age-appropriate facts about COVID19 and what to expect while in school.
• Encouraging your student's expression of the thoughts, feelings, and questions they may be holding inside. Unexpressed anxiety, for example, can cause poor school/life performance and should be addressed in a supportive way.
• Checking-in with your student daily about their school day.
• Modeling positive self-care practices such as exercise, healthy eating, and good sleep hygiene.
• Modeling a calm and patient demeanor.
• Making space for social-emotional connection and fun.
• Promoting the hope that this too shall pass
• Reassuring your student that you and the school are doing all that is possible to keep everyone healthy.

For more information regarding the safe return to school, check your school's local and state websites or visit the webside of the U.S. Department of Education.

If you or your child are experiencing ongoing anxiety, depression, or other emotional difficulty, please seek help.   Have a wonderful and productive school year!