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'It Is A Different Place': Experts Give Advice On Preparing Children To Return To Class

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Rebecca Morrissey has three daughters in Los Angeles Unified School District schools — one in elementary school, one in middle school and one in high school — who are getting ready for an eventual return to campus.

Return To Classroom
Rebecca Morrissey's youngest daughter completes a school assignment at home. (CBSLA)

"Because I don't know what to expect yet, I don't know how to prepare them," she said.

And while all of her kids are excited about the potential to be back on campus, Morrissey said she worries most about her middle child.

"I worry it's not going to be what she expect when she goes back," Morrissey said. "And so it's going to be a challenge for her to either have new classes or new teachers, to not be seeing her friends the way she really thinks she might be able to when she goes back because they might just be kind of sequestered. I worry that it's just gonna actually be, the change is going to be more difficult and challenging than she might expect."

And Morrissey is not alone in her concerns.

With LAUSD announcing its plans for students to start returning to campus next month, some students may be struggling with the transition after spending more than a year at home.

"Change is always hard, no matter what the change is," Dr. Itai Danovitch, chair of psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said.

He said losing a full year on campus could have profound impacts on children as they prepare to return.

"And we have had a year unlike any other, with a lot of sources of fear and significant changes and lot of work to adapt to this new reality," Danovitch said.

Danovitch said children may be experiencing a wide range of emotions, from excitement to anxiety, and their feelings will vary by age. He said younger children may suffer from separation anxiety, while older kids may struggle with returning to face-to-face interactions.

"Some may not be comfortable with their appearance," Suzanne Silverstein, director of psychological trauma at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said. "I know a number of people during this time have gained weight. For kids, that's really hard."

Silverstein said children may also have trouble with how school looks once they return with the usage of facial coverings and necessity for social distancing.

"It's a familiar place, but it is a different place when they go back," she said.

But experts said there are things parents can do to help ease the transition, including listening to your child, validating their feelings, normalize what they are going through, help them get back on a schedule and prepare them for what school will look like when they return.

Experts said the good news was that children are resilient and, while the COVID-19 pandemic can cause emotional trauma, it will likely also make them stronger and more adaptable in the future.

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