The pandemic scare is perhaps here to stay. People are no longer awaiting the effacing of the coronavirus. Rather, they have well accustomed themselves to the new normal and are still persevering to acclimatize with the “changes”. Reopening of schools would be a greater welcome this time than all other back-to-school seasons in the past.

Amidst the pandemic scare, parents of school-goers have been increasingly inquisitive about the yea and nay of sending their kids to school! One among them? Here’s all that you can do before your child boards the school bus…

This time, tell your child, “No sharing”

Every child should have his/her set of school supplies or stationery items (pens, pencils, scissors, stapler, eraser, sharpeners, etc.). Preferably, a child should carry an extra set of these school items. In case of misplacement, no sharing should be allowed by the mentors or school authorities.

No moving out without the sanitizer bottle and the mask

Hand washing time and again in the common washroom within the school premises is not a very recommended thing. Sanitizers reduce the need to use the common washbasin every time the child needs to wash hands. Besides, washbasins aren’t available everywhere. What about the commuting hours of the kid? Sanitizer bottles are of great help even when your child is on his/her way to and back from school.

The back-to-school shopping list inevitably includes masks this year. What parents need to do to get their children into the habit is make them wear their face masks for longer and longer periods. This will build a face-covering endurance in your child. If he/she is staying indoors now without a mask the entire day, wearing one during school hours would be more than just difficult!

Train your kid with a “back-to-school” protocol

On returning home the very first thing that is advisable for the child is washing the hands thoroughly. A shower is not necessary (this could be left to individual preferences). What is more important is to undress the child fully and send the clothes either to the laundry or some disinfecting chamber.

This article is specifically purposed at reminding you time and again that the list has undergone some distinct changes. Yes, we’re talking about all that needs to be packed in your child’s school bag before the school gates reopen in September.

A round-up of everything that needs to be packed on the very first day your kid walks to school in the post-pandemic era…

• Apart from the face masks pack a face mask holder too
• Instead of hand sanitizer bottles, get the ones that are attached to key chains so that you could hang them on the school bag.
• Antimicrobial desk pads and antimicrobial phone cases too.
• A contactless door opener
• Hand wipes and gadget cleaning wipes as well
• UV sanitizers

The enlisted items above are additions to be made under the “new normal” scenarios. They will naturally get added with all the other stationery, technology items, and school accessories that are shopped by parents each year. So, the back-to-school essential buying this year is in a new attire too.

But before sending your little one to school, most of all what you need is “staying positive”. Panic demolishes your inner strength and the positivity in you too. We, as adults, need to harbor a lot of patience too. These youngsters would naturally need some time to readjust with the "new school-life". This time, their favorite teachers look different wearing masks and there's no sharing the tiffin or the evening snacks with friends