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Back to school wellness tips

Parenting and going back to school can be challenging in the best of times, handling back to school stress during a pandemic is even harder. We know that this has been a big topic of conversation recently, and a source of distress for many of our staff. We are reaching out today to provide you with some tips and resources to help cope with stress & anxiety related to returning to school during COVID-19.

Resources for parents and children:

  • Psychological PPE: Tool developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement offering evidenced-based recommendations to safeguard and support the mental health and well-being of healthcare workforce. Register here for the Caring for Caregivers Special Series occurring biweekly.
  • Watch this one-hour webinar: "Parenting During COVID-19 as a Health Care Professional" presented by the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine.
  • Parents Magazine: Back to school articles on setting up virtual learning spaces for kids, reopening schools and virtual after-school programs
  • CAMH: Though you have likely had many conversations with your kids about COVID-19 and its impact, this sheet gives some tips on talking to children about the pandemic which might prove useful in conversations surrounding return to school.
  • Government of Canada: From activities for children to information for parents, this site has a ton of great resources.
  • TDSB: Mental health and well-being resources
  • Kids Help Phone: Canada’s 24/7, national support service offering professional counselling information and referrals and volunteer-led text-support to young people.
  • Mental Health TO: Free mental health counselling for infants, children, youth and families.
  • Child Bright: COVID-19 resources for Canadian youth with disabilities, their families and support teams.
  • Roots of Action: 55 back-to-school articles for Parents 2020, categorized to help you find information based on your needs.
  • OMA: Read OMA’s public statement reinforcing public health and safety measures in schools including simple steps to help contain the virus in classrooms.

Things to remember:

  • It’s OK to not feel OK
  • You are not alone; parents and teachers alike are scared for the upcoming return to school. We must all work together as a community to make this transition as safe and easy as possible for everyone involved.
  • Self-care is not selfish – it is important to take some time for your own self-care.
  • If you feel that you or your child are experiencing significant ongoing distress, there are many ways to access specialized care. From Homewood Health (through EAP), to the Sunnybrook Wellness Team Peer Support Groups and one-on-one support sessions, to external resources, there is something for everyone.