How can parents help their kids as many transition to in person school? Elizabeth Tracey reports

In person school days are here, with many involving masking, physical distancing, and testing for Covid infection. Jennifer Katzenstein, a child psychologist at Johns Hopkins, says parents might consider a daily check in with their child as part of the new routine.

Katzenstein: I’ve been starting to really allocate time each day where you really sit with your child and listen. And as parents that can be really hard because you want to ask all the questions about the day and you want to find out what’s been going on. But if we can start spending five or ten minutes each day sitting with our child, asking how the day went, and then not filling that silence with more words, but rather just sitting and listening, so that they can share with us how they’re feeling.  :26

Katzenstein says the rapid pace of change that’s going on right now with regard to requirements designed to reduce the risk of Covid infection for kids in school can add to the stress of adapting to in person classes. She advocates mindfulness for parents, too, as any stress their child is experiencing affects everyone in the family. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.