Kids worry more when they're kept in the dark
                                                                  - Rachel Ehmke

On this page are some simple suggestions on how to support your child through the next few months. In the dropdown menu I will have a weekly (or daily based on how quickly things change) blog article on what is happening with schools, Hall Elementary, and my current job (what I am doing to support students). I will also list GBSD resources and local & community resources to support you and your family.

Be well and please don't be afraid to reach out to me with questions, comments or concerns.
Ms Shannon

​How to talk to your children:

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News of the coronavirus COVID-19 is everywhere, from the front page of all the papers to the playground at school. Many parents are wondering how to bring up the epidemic in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be. Here is some advice from the experts at the Child Mind Institute.
  • Don’t be afraid to discuss the coronavirus. Most children will have already heard about the virus or seen people wearing face masks, so parents shouldn’t avoid talking about it. Not talking about something can actually make kids worry more. Look at the conversation as an opportunity to convey the facts and set the emotional tone. “You take on the news and you’re the person who filters the news to your kid,” explains Janine Domingues, PhD, a child psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. Your goal is to help your children feel informed and get fact-based information that is likely more reassuring than whatever they’re hearing from their friends or on the news.
  • Be developmentally appropriate. Don’t volunteer too much information, as this may be overwhelming. Instead, try to answer your child’s questions. Do your best to answer honestly and clearly. It’s okay if you can’t answer everything; being available to your child is what matters.
  • Take your cues from your child. Invite your child to tell you anything they may have heard about the coronavirus, and how they feel. Give them ample opportunity to ask questions. You want to be prepared to answer (but not prompt) questions. Your goal is to avoid encouraging frightening fantasies.
  • Deal with your own anxiety. “When you’re feeling most anxious or panicked, that isn’t the time to talk to your kids about what’s happening with the coronavirus,” warns Dr. Domingues. If you notice that you are feeling anxious, take some time to calm down before trying to have a conversation or answer your child’s questions.
  • Be reassuring. Children are very egocentric, so hearing about the coronavirus on the news may be enough to make them seriously worry that they’ll catch it. It’s helpful to reassure your child about how rare the coronavirus actually is (the flu is much more common) and that kids actually seem to have milder symptoms.
  • Focus on what you’re doing to stay safe. An important way to reassure kids is to emphasize the safety precautions that you are taking. Jamie Howard, PhD, a child psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, notes, “Kids feel empowered when they know what to do to keep themselves safe.” We know that the coronavirus is transmitted mostly by coughing and touching surfaces. The CDC recommends thoroughly washing your hands as the primary means of staying healthy. So remind kids that they are taking care of themselves by washing their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds (or the length of two “Happy Birthday” songs) when they come in from outside, before they eat, and after blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing or using the bathroom. If kids ask about face masks, explain that the experts at the CDC say they aren’t necessary for most people. If kids see people wearing face masks, explain that those people are being extra cautious.
  • Stick to routine. “We don’t like uncertainty, so staying rooted in routines and predictability is going to be helpful right now,” advises Dr. Domingues. This is particularly important if your child’s school or daycare shuts down. Make sure you are taking care of the basics just like you would during a spring break or summer vacation. Structured days with regular mealtimes and bedtimes are an essential part of keeping kids happy and healthy.
  • Keep talking. Tell kids that you will continue to keep them updated as you learn more. “Let them know that the lines of communication are going to be open,” says Dr. Domingues. “You can say, ‘Even though we don’t have the answers to everything right now, know that once we know more, mom or dad will let you know, too.’”

How to Support your child during this time:

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Find Out What Your Child Already Knows Ask questions geared to your child's age level. For older kids, you might ask, "Are people in school talking about coronavirus? What are they saying?" For younger children, you could say, "Have you heard grownups talking about a new sickness that's going around?" This gives you a chance to learn how much kids know — and to find out if they're hearing the wrong information.

  • Follow your child's lead. Some kids may want to spend time talking. But if your kids don't seem interested or don't ask a lot of questions, that's OK.
  • Offer Comfort — and HonestyFocus on helping your child feel safe, but be truthful. Don't offer more detail than your child is interested in. For example, if kids ask about school closings, address their questions. But if the topic doesn't come up, there's no need to raise it unless it happens.
  • If your child asks about something and you don't know the answer, say so. Use the question as a chance to find out together. Check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for up-to-date, reliable information about coronavirus (COVID-19). That way, you have the facts and kids don't see headlines about deaths and other scary information.
  • Speak calmly and reassuringly. Explain that most people who get sick feel like they have a cold or the flu. Kids pick up on it when parents worry. So when you talk about coronavirus and the news, use a calm voice and try not to seem upset.
  • Give kids space to share their fears. It's natural for kids to worry, "Could I be next? Could that happen to me?" Let your child know that kids don't seem to get as sick as adults. Let them know they can always come to you for answers or to talk about what scares them.
  • Know when they need guidance. Be aware of how your kids get news and information, especially older kids who go online. Point them to age-appropriate content so they don't end up finding news shows or outlets that scare them or have incorrect information.
  • Help Kids Feel in Control. Give your child specific things they can do to feel in control. Teach kids that getting lots of sleep and washing their hands well and often can help them stay strong and well. Explain that regular hand washing also helps stop viruses from spreading to others. Be a good role model and let your kids see you washing your hands often!
  • Talk about all the things that are happening to keep people safe and healthy. Young kids might be reassured to know that hospitals and doctors are prepared to treat people who get sick. Older kids might be comforted to know that scientists are working to develop a vaccine. These talks also prepare kids for changes in their normal routine if schools or childcare centers close in the future.
  • Put news stories in context. If they ask, explain that death from the virus is still rare, despite what they might hear. Watch the news with your kids so you can filter what they hear.
  • Kids and teens often worry more about family and friends than themselves. For example, if kids hear that older people are more likely to be seriously ill, they might worry about their grandparents. Letting them call or Skype with older relatives can help them feel reassured about loved ones.
  • Let your kids know that it's normal to feel stressed out at times. Everyone does. Recognizing these feelings and knowing that stressful times pass and life gets back to normal can help children build resilience.
  • Keep the Conversation GoingKeep checking in with your child. Use talking about coronavirus as a way to help kids learn about their bodies, like how the immune system fights off disease.
  • Talk about current events with your kids often. It's important to help them think through stories they hear about. Ask questions: What do you think about these events? How do you think these things happen? Such questions also encourage conversation about non-news topics.

​How to "home school" during school shutdown:

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​Rule number one: Don’t panic—you’ve got this! “Basically, the biggest thing families should do is keep the sleep schedule the same, read every day, and do some problem-solving with real-life situations,” says Jessica Dueñas, a special education teacher at W.E.B. DuBois Academy in Louisville and 2019 Kentucky Teacher of the Year. Here are easy ways to help your kids learn while schools are closed.

Set a simple schedule. This is especially valuable if you’ll be home with your kids. While some parents choose to do an hour-by-hour chart, a loose guideline can be enough to keeps kids on track. Parents of older kids can even let children create their own schedules - with your approval, of course.

Read freely. To keep up literacy skills, students should read (or be read to) at least 20 minutes a day, but that doesn’t necessarily mean serious academic texts. “I would recommend anything a child is interested in,” a researcher says. “That could be sports magazines, comic books, or graphic novels.” Kids don’t have to sit at a desk—sitting on the floor, stretching out on the sofa, or standing up to read can all make the task more engaging.

Solve real-life math problems. Your home is filled with opportunities to practice math skills, if you know where to look. Planning a shopping trip? Give kids a budget and let them help figure out what you can buy. Or turn a set of stairs into times-tables practice by letting kids climb while calling out multiples for each step. For instance, the first time is by twos, then by threes, then by fours. “That can help with math fluency,”

If worksheets are your thing, kindergarten teacher Rachelle Shipstad of Roosevelt Elementary School in Burbank, California, recommends the free printables for preschoolers through fifth graders at education.com. “It’s great and has pretty much all topics,” including math, she says.

Keep up writing skills. These are extraordinary times, so encourage children to document what’s going on in their lives. A daily journal helps kids keep track of not just day-to-day events but their thoughts and feelings about it as well. If that’s not your child’s thing, suggest that they write out a skit or short fiction story.
Another type of writing project to help them deal with their fears and anxieties. For fourth graders and up, take a piece of paper and break it into two columns: What I Think and What Is Real, Kids can write their thoughts on the first column, but in the other column they can write about the reality of their thoughts. So the first column could say, ‘I’m going to catch the coronavirus.’ But the second would say, ‘If I wash my hands, keep a safe distance, and practice good hygiene, I probably won’t.’”

Try task analysis. That’s a fancy term for breaking down any task into its basic parts. (Your great-grandparents probably did it but just called it “doing chores.”) “A parent might ask a child to wash and dry the dishes,” Dueñas says. “But a lot of little steps go into that. What do you need to start washing the dishes? What should you wash first?” The more you break down the steps, the more you’re teaching problem-solving.
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Unplug. While some kids do great with apps and digital learning, Chang points out that kids don’t spend the majority of their classroom time online. “They need chances to be creative,” she says. So hit pause before you download a bunch of academic apps. “How about doing a puppet show, writing a song, or making and designing a board game?” she says. If parents are working from home, older kids can create while the grown-ups are on their conference calls, then show off their creations during work breaks.