The following information pertaining to the COVID-19 Virus is being distributed to our school district and community from our district school nurse Rhonda Knoske to help with understanding, containment, and coping with this global situation. |
Don’t give up now! Keep up the good work!As we enter into the Easter holiday, Ohioans have clearly illustrated what we can accomplish when we all do our part, no matter how small. The most recent statistics in Ohio show that the measures we are taking, good handwashing, social distancing and surface cleaning, are decreasing the numbers of Ohioans that have become ill with COVID-19. Although that is great news, it is very important that we keep up the good work. Experts on infectious disease have cautioned us against becoming complacent and relaxing the restrictions too soon. Please continue to stress social distancing and good handwashing to your children. Some measures that may be helpful to keep children engaged and safe include:
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Explaining Social Distancing to Your ChildrenOur whole community, our whole way of living, has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Until a few weeks ago few of us thought about the concept of "social distancing." Now the practice of social distancing is our greatest hope of decreasing the impact of this virus on our families and community. This concept has changed the way we interact with our family and friends and has caused stress and anxiety for all of us. As with any type of significant change in the way we live, as adults we must consider the impact of this on our children and attempt to provide age appropriate information to ease the stress and anxiety that they may feel. It is important that children understand what social distancing is and why it is important. When explaining what social distancing is to your children, key points to include are:
In addition to explaining what social distancing is, children also need to understand why this is necessary. Key ideas to communicate to your children include:
Because teens tend to be more social they may have the most difficulty abiding by social distancing measures. It is very important to be honest with your teen children about the importance of these measures to protect more vulnerable members of the community. Rather than causing conflict, approach your teen from the perspective of the important role they can play in preventing spread of this illness to older family members or those with other illnesses. Allow them to express their feelings honestly and encourage them to seek alternative ways to fulfill the need for social interaction. A couple of videos on YouTube that can be helpful in explaining coronavirus to young children are: |