School safety has always been a critical component of education. With virtual learning coming to the forefront, parents need to take the reigns and take the necessary precautions to ensure safety in the virtual classroom.
Schedules are in flux. We may know how school will start this fall, but there are no guarantees. Virtual may go in-person. In-person may end up virtual. And hybrid? It can go either way. The way our kids will attend school this year may change without notice, and we need to be ready.
Sounds confusing? That’s because it is. Given the inability of any school or district to make guarantees, parents are left juggling whatever plan is thrown at them. For parents who work outside of the home, the need for last minute childcare is an added stressor upon them. Even parents working from home may not be able to juggle their work, as well as overseeing the education of their children. Not to mention stay-at-home moms with multiple kids who don’t feel equipped to step into the role of assistant teacher.
As desperate as all of this feels, the best way to quell the desperation is to be prepared. So much is out of our hands as parents, however we can assert our control in various ways to ensure that our kids are safe and set up for success.
WHO STEPS IN WHEN SCHOOLS CLOSE?
Many parents are in a tough position right now. With only a few weeks until the start of the school year, virtual schooling has become widespread, leaving many parents in a bind. Finding last minute care is critical to many, but doing so safely is imperative.
There are many babysitting and childcare services, such as STL Sitter, and Care.com. These services not only help match you with a caregiver, but they also provide safety measures such as background checks, CPR certifications, and driving record validations.
But, what can you do if you want to hire a sitter or tutor based on personal recommendations instead of using a service?
Conduct your own checks. You can solicit a background check through your local police department, or use online resources. The cost varies depending on how detailed of a check you run, and can cost anywhere from about $40-$300. Check up on them in the open. Alert them that you’re running a background check on any candidate that you’re seriously considering. They will need to provide the personal information needed to run the check.
Here are some resources to help you know what kind of checks you might need, and how to proceed:
https://kidsit.com/babysitter-background-check
https://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/how-to-properly-background-check-your-nanny
Just because your candidates have cleared background checks, don’t skip over reference checks. References speak to the personalities and character traits that won’t show up on a background check. The above links also coach you on important topics to cover when checking with references.
A CHILDCARE CONTRACT
Another safety measure you can implement is to create a childcare contract. You can make yours as simple or complex as you’d like, and personalize it to suit your situation. It’s a good idea to lay out your expectations and requirements to protect yourself, as well as to offer clarity to the person you hire. There are many examples of contracts online.
https://www.care.com/c/stories/14900/babysitter-contract/
Don’t be shy with laying out your guidelines, especially as they pertain to COVID-19. Define the role of masks in your household. Explain your comfort level with exposure to others. Discuss your sitter’s lifestyle outside of work hours so you can understand the risks you are taking in hiring them. Don’t be afraid to follow them on social media, if it’s important to you to understand their level of exposure. Be clear about both your expectations, and your need to uphold them.
WHAT ABOUT THE SCREENS?
One thing we’ve all experienced since the quarantine started is an increase in screen time.
Whether your kids are 100% learning virtually, or even part-time virtual learners, screens are not going away anytime soon. Embrace them but learn to limit and monitor their usage.
Many schools provide Chromebooks or similar technology for students to use at school and at home. Often, the school will implement safety measures and parents will be limited on what they can do with school issued technology. However, there are ways to monitor Chromebooks and laptops, and there are certainly ways to monitor personal technology devices, as well. For laptops and chromebooks, here are two great articles:
Settings-on-chromebooks-ultimate-guide
Because of the exposure to screens for school, parents may want to limit and monitor phones and tablets. There are many apps, and even programs already installed on the devices, to help you monitor screen time limits, and the ability for parents to limit access to certain websites. Beyond the software that already comes on your device, apps such as Screentime will allow you to set daily time limits, bedtimes and study times when the devices are restricted, and the ability to approve or deny access to websites. Other monitoring apps include:
https://www.parents.com/kids/safety/internet/best-apps-for-parents-to-monitor-and-limit-screen-time/
To take it one step further, there are apps that will monitor and alert you to potential dangers. Bark is one such app. It sifts through your child’s usage on their device, and gathers any potential danger or threat and emails an alert to you so that you can keep up with any potential problems. Many parents feel they don’t need this because they check their kids’ phones on their own, but Bark is up to date on the algorithms and trends that parents may be unaware of so using such an app lessens the chance for anything to fall through the cracks.
ORGANIZATION CAN BE A LIFELINE
Finally, don’t underestimate the value of schedule and routine during this time. Set up 
workstations so that kids aren’t attending Zooms from the comfort of their beds. Set consistent bedtimes and wake times. Have your kids get out of their pajamas before school starts. Treat it for what it is: a school day. Set up times throughout the day for outside play. Fresh air and activity are such an important component. For older kids, especially those who may be home all day by themselves, leave a list of chores that you expect them to accomplish once their school day is done. Simple things like doing their laundry and emptying the dishwasher will keep them accountable and help them foster responsibility.
Remember, even with school schedules changing and parents feeling like they’re on the defensive, preparation can put us back on the offensive. Control what you can, so that the many things that leave you feeling completely out of control are more manageable. We’ve got this, Moms!
