ALSO NEARBY, MANY SNOWY SHAVED
ICE, GREAT TREAT TO A BEAUTIFUL
WEEKEND.
WHERE BEGINNING OUR SPECIAL
REPORT TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL, WHETHER
IT IS DISTANCE LEARNING, AT
HOME OR BACK IN THE CLASSROOM
OR A HYBRID MIX OF BOTH.
THIS MORNING WITH A LEARNING
CURVE, WE HAVE ADVICE OF YOUR
CHILDREN IS FEELING FEAR OR
ANXIETY ABOUT THE UPCOMING
SCHOOL YEAR.
JONAS LIVE BY SKYPE IS DR.
SARAH PAPER, A PSYCHOLOGIST
WITH ALAINA HELD, THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
Reporter: WE KNOW IN A
REGULAR SCHOOL YEAR, PRE-
PANDEMIC IT CAN BRING FEAR AND
ANXIETY AND KIDS COPY YOU THROW
THIS ON TOP OF IT, WHAT
STRATEGIES DO YOU HAVE FOR
PARENTS TO HELP CALM THEIR
CHILDREN A LITTLE BIT?
FIRST THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING IS FOR PARENTS TO CHECK
THEIR OWN EMOTIONS.
CALM THEMSELVES DOWN, TALK WITH
THEIR KIDS ABOUT WHAT THE DAY
WILL LOOK LIKE.
INCLUDE DETAILS AND BE HONEST.
WE CANNOT ASSUME KIDS WILL
UNDERSTAND WHAT HYBRID MEANS OR
DISTANCE LEARNING OR WHAT IT
WILL LOOK LIKE TO GO BACK TO
SCHOOL IN PERSON.
A GOOD EXAMPLE, MY DAUGHTER IS
IN FIRST GRADE.
SHE IS GONE TO PRIVATE PRE-K IN
PRIVATE KINDERGARTEN IN THE OF
THESE ELABORATE GRADUATIONS.
TO THE PUBLIC IT IS GREAT.
HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR SHE
WAS LIKE I AM SO EXCITED FOR
FIRST GRADE GRADUATION.
THERE IS NO FIRST GRADE
GRADUATION.
SHE WAS LIKE WHAT?
WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER.
I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO IT
ALL YEAR.
I THOUGHT SHE WOULD UNDERSTAND,
WHICH IS STUPID ON MY PART.
WE CAN ASSUME KIDS UNDERSTAND
SOMETHING COMPLEX LIKE HYBRID
OR DISTANCE.
THEY MAY THINK THEY WILL STILL
BE IN CLASS, BECAUSE WHAT DOES
IT MEAN?
SHOW THEM THIS IS WHERE YOU ARE
LEARNING FROM, THIS IS WHAT IT
WILL LOOK LIKE.
THIS IS WHAT LUNCH WILL BE LIKE.
HERE IS YOUR MASK.
YOU WILL SIT ACROSS FROM YOUR
FRIENDS.
GIVE THEM AS MANY DETAILS AS
YOU CAN.
SOMETIMES WE TRY TO HIDE THE
DETAILS BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID
OF OUR KIDS ANXIETY.
KIDS ARE A LOT LIKE ADULTS, AND
MORE KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION
WILL REDUCE THE FREE THE FEARS
AND HELP THEM FEEL LIKE THEY
UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN.
NOT KNOWING IS PROBABLY ONE OF
THE SCARIEST THINGS.
Reporter: SOME KIDS ARE
TALKERS AND SOME ARE QUIET.
I AM FINE, TODAY WAS FINE.
YOU KNOW THERE IS A LOT MORE
GOING ON THERE, THIS IS
ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO GET
THEM TALKING RIGHT NOW.
WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR KIDS
WHO MAY NOT BE WILLING TO SHARE
SO MUCH?
BE SPECIFIC WITH THEIR
QUESTIONS AND ASK THEM, WHAT
ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT, WHAT ARE
YOU SAD ABOUT, WHAT ARE YOU
WORRIED ABOUT, WHAT ARE YOU MAD
ABOUT.
HELP THEM MANAGE THOSE FEELINGS
AND PROBLEM SOLVE.
EVEN WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO
SCHOOL, IF THEY FEEL REALLY
SCARED HELP THEM SHIFT THEIR
THINKING TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN YOU
COME HOME, TELL ME ONE THING
YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT.
ONE TIME YOU SAW SOMEONE AND
YOU HELP THEM.
TELL ME SOMETHING THAT WAS
FUNNY THAT HAPPENED.
EVEN FROM DISTANCE LEARNING,
PAY ATTENTION AND TELL ME THE
FUNNIEST SURE YOU SAW SOMEONE
WEAR OR THE FUNNIEST FACE YOU
SAW, SO THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO
PAY ATTENTION TO, AND ADJUST
THEIR FEARS.
IF THEY FEEL ANXIOUS ASK WHAT
ARE YOU A FAIR AFRAID OF? WHAT
IS THE DANGER THAT MIGHT BE
THERE?
I REMEMBER LEARNING FROM AARON
GARRITY THAT ANXIETY IS ABOUT
DANGER.
AND AROUSAL AND MASTERY.
IF WE CAN HELP THEM UNDERSTAND
WHAT IS THE DANGER THEY
IMAGINE?
HAVE THE SKILLS TO MASTER IT.
THEY WILL BE CALMER GOING TO
THE SCHOOL YEAR AND THAT HELPS
THEM BETTER THAN TELLING THEM
THEIR WORRIES ARE NOT TRUE.
GOOD ADVICE FOR KIDS AND
PARENTS.
DR. SARAH PAPER FROM ALAINA
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.
THINGS WERE HAPPENING HAVING
ME.
TOMORROW LEARNING CURVE,
HELP IF YOUR CHILDREN ARE
STAYING HOME FOR DISTANCE
LEARNING.
HELP YOU CREATE A POSITIVE
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND HOME