Back-to-School Tips, Post COVID-19

Last week, you received the official word from your kids’ schools: they will be returning to in-person learning this fall. After a year-plus of online learning, which certainly had its challenges at times, you are pretty pleased with this news. At the same time, you admit you are a bit unsure about the return to the “old normal” in school.

With this in mind, consider the following do’s and don’ts to help prepare your kids — and you — for going back to school in person.

Do: Buy Them New Clothes and Supplies

Last year, you might have skipped over the entire back-to-school shopping trip, and for good reason. With at home-learning, your kids didn’t really need new backpacks, shoes, t-shirts, pants and socks, and you bought them lined paper and pencils as needed. To get them into the back-to-school routine, treat them to new clothes and plenty of school supplies, including roomy and sturdy Nike backpacks that will hold all of those fresh boxes of crayons, pens, pencils, paints, paper and more.

Don’t: Expect a Seamless Transition

Even if your kiddos are chomping at the bit to get back to school in person and see friends and teachers again, they may still have a bit of an adjustment period. As Hun School notes, remember that your kids may feel awkward, and the school day may not be as smooth as it was prior to the pandemic. After months of being at home, getting back to a loud and crowded school building might feel a bit overwhelming — and that’s totally okay. Reassure your kids that you know it may feel strange going back to regular school and it will take a while to get used to it again, but that it will all be okay and you are there for them any time they want to talk.

Do: Get Your Kids Back on a Schedule

As you probably noticed pretty quickly, the online school “schedule” was quite a bit different than the usual routine. Your kids could literally roll out of bed five minutes before class started on their laptops, and they could grab snacks as they wished during the day and often stayed up later than usual.

As Children’s Minnesota suggests, create a schedule for the return to in-person school; routines will help kids to feel calmer and more prepared for their day, so get back to old habits including set wake-up times, good breakfasts, preparing lunches, study hours and regular bedtimes. Your kids may balk at this idea, but consider starting the new wakeup and sleep schedule a week or so before the first day of school; this way, when their alarms go off at 6:30 a.m. they will be more ready to go.

Don’t: Be a Negative Nellie

Maybe you wish online school was going on a bit longer, or perhaps you are really nervous about your kids being away from you during the day. To keep your children as calm and confident as possible, strive to keep any negative feelings to yourself and reassure them that all of the teachers and the principal want them to be healthy and safe, and that the return to in-person school is a good thing. Kids tend to be emotional sponges, so do your best to be positive about their return to the classroom.

Do: Have a Great Year

There were probably times during the height of the pandemic when you wondered if your kids would ever go back to school in person again. Now that you know they will be heading back in the fall, it’s time to get back to the old familiar routines. By treating your kids to new clothes and supplies and getting everyone back on a schedule, adjusting your expectations and staying as positive as you can, the return to school should go as smoothly as can be expected.

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10 Tips for Hosting Your First Post-COVID Get-Together 

 

If you’re like most people, you’re anxiously awaiting your first post-COVID get-together with friends and family. Needless to say, you want to make this party one to remember.

 

With that in mind, here are ten tips for hosting your first post-COVID get-together.

Consider Your Budget and Location

The pandemic was a feast-or-famine affair — hopefully, you ate well and invested your stimulus wisely. However, you can still party heartily if your wallet contains little but moths due to using yours to cover living expenses.

 

Depending on your budget, you might do anything from a backyard barbecue to a full-fledged reunion. If you’re considering the latter, you may need to clear your property to provide enough space for multiple banquet tables. To that end, a skid steer is usually a good option.

 

Whatever you ultimately choose, the following ideas work for any price-point:

 

● Luau: You can pick up inexpensive leis at the dollar store or go all out and build a firepit big enough for roasting a pig.
● Sports camp: If you have an active clan, throw your bash at the home with the biggest lawn. If you have more cash, rent out a park, including the playing fields, and have a ball.
● Cosplay: If you and your friends spent some of the quarantine perfecting your outfit for the next ComicCon, why not show off your duds a little early? If you have deeper pockets, rent an outdoor screen and recreate the drive-in movie experience.

Start With Respect

Hopefully, every attendee to your first post-COVID get-together chooses vaccination, giving them extra protection against the virus. However, there is still much scientists don’t know, and not everyone has gotten their shots.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you are fully vaccinated two weeks after your second dose or following a one-shot vaccine. Until then, you should continue to take precautions such as wearing masks and staying six feet apart from others when gathering in indoor places.

 

Please note that if you take medications that impact your immune system, you are not considered fully vaccinated, even after having your shots — talk to your doctor.

Break Out the Bubbly

Now that you covered the bases, it’s time to party. Pop the champagne!

 

If you have the means, why not break out an exclusive brand deserving of the occasion. Please ensure that you keep a non-alcoholic bottle or two on hand so that even those who abstain can share in the toast.

Make It a Finger Food Affair

The centerpiece of hosting your first post-COVID get-together is mixing and mingling. You don’t want to weigh people down with overladen paper plates.

 

Get your finger-food game on-point. Treats like tiny cucumber sandwiches and chicken skewers travel well, letting people devote most of their attention to socializing.

Or Go Formal Sit-Down

However, you might have more exclusive tastes — or merely the desire to share the same table with loved ones again. If so, go all out with a formal dinner party.

 

Remember, much of the elegance lies in the presentation. A single scoop of ice cream served in a champagne glass with strawberries makes a 4-star looking dessert in seconds.

Share War Stories

What’s the craziest thing that happened to you during quarantine? Did you embrace those tips to plant a victory garden or learn a second language, or did you spend much of the time catching up on lost sleep?

 

Why not have a contest? You can play charades to guess what you did to fill the lockdown time or collaborate on a master list of disaster survival tips — like how to find toilet paper when store shelves run bare.

Play Games 

It’s finally time to break out the Twister again. However, it could take folks some time to readjust from over a year of restrictions.

 

If you want to be the post-COVID host with the most, make sure your event includes a mix of games, such as the Vertellis conversation starter game, the #1 game for togetherness that sparks meaningful memories and stories. Or play some other socially distancing friendly games, like Frisbee golf, while others can involve contact for those who feel comfortable.

Get Creative 

Even if you got crafty in lockdown, it’s lonely to knit by yourself. Why not get creative with the crew?

 

You can even build your get-together around a craft theme. Have a mix and match earrings party or a spa and wellness day — you can even make things for a fundraiser.

Do Some Good

Volunteering is a heartfelt way to give back as a group. Why not make your post-COVID get-together benefit a cause? You could participate in a neighborhood cleanup or help put together care packages for less fortunate families who didn’t weather the storm as well as you did.

Reduce Cleanup Hassles

Any party worth remembering creates a bit of a mess. However, you can minimize cleanup hassles by placing trash and recycling containers around your pad and establishing a soaking station for dirty dishware.

Follow These 10 Tips for Your First Post-COVID Get-Together

You want your first post-COVID get-together to be memorable and fun. Follow these tips for an unforgettable bash.

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About The Author

Oscar Collins is the managing editor at Modded. He writes about cars, fitness, the outdoors, and more. Follow @TModded on Twitter for more articles from the Modded team.
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