Back to School and In-Person Classes
How to Help Your Kids Prepare
Regardless of your child’s age or grade, the first day of school can be stressful. While it’s often exciting to pick out new clothes, buy a book bag, and anticipate seeing friends again, it can also be a nerve-wracking time. In addition to the usual concerns about who they’ll sit with at lunch, if they look okay, and if they said something that sounded dumb in class, this year many kids also have to reacclimate to full-time, in-person classes.
Here are a few tips for a smooth transition into the school year:
Will a Night at the Movies Change Forever? Movie Theaters in Post-Pandemic Times Out of all the businesses hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, few were affected more than movie theaters. For the past year, as movies have debuted on streaming services rather than in theaters, many industry leaders, critics, and theatergoers alike have raised the alarming question: Did COVID-19 kill the movie theater industry? In short? No. Not by a long shot. Though the past year has left the industry somewhat beleaguered (AMC closed 60 theaters permanently, Cineworld reported losses totaling $2 billion, and the Alamo furloughed more than 5,000 employees). Yet, despite all of this, a night at the movies is here to stay. When a Vox reporter reached out to various moviegoers about whether they would attend theaters once the pandemic ends, many of them said yes because streaming a film in their living room just can’t provide the same experience. Watching a movie in a theater completely immerses one in the experience — you can’t pause the film to watch later or do chores. And you’re in it with the whole theater. Comedies are funnier when you laugh with others. A hero’s triumphs are more spectacular when you cheer them on together. (Who didn’t go nuts when Captain America caught Thor’s hammer in “Avengers: Endgame”?) When you leave the theater, you feel a little closer to the strangers around you, and having been immersed in the movie alongside your friends, you can discuss how you liked the movie on the way home. Of course, movie theaters will still change as a result of the pandemic. Theaters are working to become more digital, some even moving to eliminate paper tickets and creating options to order concessions before your arrival. More theaters may promote private viewings of movies so people can be more careful about whom they watch movies with. Some theaters are also trying to create more of an “experience” for moviegoers by offering a wider array of food and even comfier seats. However, these changes, especially given the circumstances of the past year, are hardly surprising. The movie theater industry has been evolving for over 100 years, and it certainly won’t stop evolving now.
• Routine is king. A sure-fire way to address anxiety about the unknown is to put routines in place. A few weeks prior to the first day of school, start establishing bedtime and wake times. Help your little ones or encourage your older children to pick out an outfit the night before. This will help them begin to mentally prepare for the transition. • Chat and connect. Sometimes the best way to help address your children’s concerns is simply by listening. Ask them how they are feeling about the new school year. Know that it’s normal for them to have some anxiety about making friends or being with a new teacher. Even if they don’t open up right away, knowing that you are a consistent source of support and care can help ease the difficulties they’re experiencing. • Do your homework together. If you have the opportunity to attend an open house and meet your child’s teacher, go together and plan out their route to school and/or to their classroom. It’s also a good idea to check what safety precautions may be in place for the start of the school year and make sure you’re prepared for them (e.g., having plenty of masks if masking is required). As you help your kids prepare for back-to-school season, remember that last school year was difficult for many children and that the return to school this year may feel like an even bigger deal than normal because of it. Remind your kids that they can do hard things and help them get excited about all the things they’ll get to do this year that they missed out on last year.
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