Kids everywhere area headed back to school for another exciting year of learning and growth. Here are some tips to help you manage screen time so kids can focus on school.

Backpacks are packed, lunches are made and, to the simultaneous elation and sadness of parents everywhere, school is back in session. The kids are off to conquer a new grade, engage with new concepts and learning modules and generally rock another year of learning. You can almost taste their excitement over seeing friends again, comparing summer adventures and sharing the colorful new backpack or school supply they can’t wait to put to good use.

With all the excitement that comes with back to school, it might be time to think about your digital strategy for the year. If your kids are like mine, as the summer wore down, they may have found themselves online a little too frequently, enjoying far too many hours of favorite games such as Roblox or Fortnite. In order to re-center their focus back to ever-important schoolwork and away from screens, you may need to lay out new expectations for screens during the school year.

As teachers ease kids into homework and encourage reading after the bell has rung for the day, you, too, may want to ease kids into restricted screentime in order to switch their focus from the digital world to the real one. But the good news is, it can be done! Kids are adaptable and will adjust if the rules are clearly defined… And enforced (we can do this, fellow parents of the world!).

New Year screentime tips

Set daily limits

Decide whether kids can earn more time on the weekends

During the week, it can feel rather easy to limit screentime. Kids are often exhausted after a full day of school, and, once after school activities pick back up, they may find it challenging to even find the time between soccer practice and homework to even go online. But you may want to go ahead and set limits anyway, so that there are no questions as to how much screentime is allowed.

For years, my kids tried to get more time on the weekends when they didn’t use their daily time. During the school year, we allow 30 minutes of non-school related screentime on weekdays and one hour a day on weekends. My kids would often try to talk me into more, reminding me on Monday they didn’t get any because of sports, and Tuesday was the same and so on. If the kids had a good week with minimal whining about homework or practices, we would sometimes allow an extra hour for good behavior. Whatever your rules, just make sure the kids understand them out of the gate.

Differentiate between school screentime and fun screentime

My oldest finds herself relying on the internet more and more these days for help with homework. She has been enrolled in a bilingual school since kindergarten and her Spanish skills surpassed mine years ago. When she has to write an essay in Spanish, she frequently needs Google translate to help her with words and phrases she can’t quite navigate unassisted. We make sure that her school-related screentime doesn’t count again her fun screentime because we want her to be able to get help when she needs it. Allowing kids to not deduct online research time from their fun time ensures that they won’t clip corners when doing school work just to avoid losing time on a beloved game or online activity.

Consider signing a tech contract

There is no question that putting things in writing helps all involved parties. Creating a clear and concise guide that outlines rules and time limits means that there is little room for disagreements to break out or for kids or parents to claim they weren’t clear on what the rules were. A simple Google search turns up a lot of great pre-made contracts (we’ve linked a great one here), or you can absolutely draw up your own contract that clearly outlines how much screentime is allowed per day as well as what must be done before screens are turned on (homework, chores, etc.). In our house, we also differentiate between internet screentime and TV screentime. Because we don’t worry as much about our kids watching a 30-minute sitcom on Disney+ the way we worry about our kids online with others for 30 minutes, we allow up to 30 minutes per day on TV or the internet, but we certainly know a number of people who only allow 30 minutes total.

However you decide to navigate a new school year with regards to electronics, just make sure you stress to your kids that schoolwork comes first and then try to enjoy the year. It’s going to be a great one!

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What is PBIS?

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a comprehensive program that was developed to improve students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes, reduce exclusionary discipline—like suspensions, expulsions, restraints, and office referrals—and improve teacher outcomes—like teacher efficacy, school climate, and perceptions of safety. The basic premise of PBIS is a three-tiered model.

Tier 1: The Foundation of PBIS and the Universal Intervention

Tier 1—the foundation of the model—is focused on “Universal Prevention.” Interventions at this level affect all students, equally. Basic expectations like tardiness, classroom behavior, and problem solving are established. But rather than define what students are NOT to do, PBIS encourages schools to teach and reinforce behaviors and expectations they want to see. Students need to be fully aware of these 3-5 positively stated, and easy to remember expectations. And school personnel should be unified and committed to consistently reinforcing students adhering to the standards.

Tier 2: The First Layer of Acute Intervention

In the second-Tier targeted support for students who are not successful with Tier 1 supports alone. This is going to likely be a small group of students, only 10-15% or so. The students requiring this level of support may benefit from social skills groups, self-management, and academic supports. These interventions should be continuously available, readily accessible to teacher referral, easily implemented by school staff, and aligned with school-expectations established for Tier 1. Increasing instruction provided to students and practice with self-regulation and social skills can support students in monitoring and managing their own behavior. In this level of intervention adults increase their level of supervision and support. Increasing the frequency of positive feedback to reinforce goal-directed behavior. Teachers should also consider prevention of problem-behaviors by anticipating the circumstances in which they arise, and ensuring the student is functioning academically.

Tier 3: The intervention targeted to the individual in need

The final layer of intervention is the most acute. Tier 3 is able to successfully navigate highly disruptive, and even dangerous. Students that require this level of intervention are a small, small minority—only about 1% of the population. An understanding of why a student behaves the way that they do is central to developing a support structure. Understanding the behavior in question will help prevent unwanted behavior, teach appropriate behavior, reinforce appropriate behavior and reduce incentives for unwanted behavior. Tier 3 student support teams require the presence of applied behavioral experts, administrative support, and multi-agency support in some cases.

Conclusion

While not a specific set of instructions for implementing PBIS, we hope this post serves as a useful outline for the type of structure PBIS brings to teachers in order to better support their students. We know that students in PBIS schools are more productive, positively engaged, resilient, and more able to develop positive social bonds. When teachers are able to engage students individually, remember not to take student (mis)behavior personally, and reinforce the positive behaviors versus punishing the negative ones the classroom environment really starts to take on a whole new life. Stay with us on the Stand4Kind blog for the next few weeks as we will be talking a lot more about classroom management and PBIS!

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“More than 3 Million People infected as of July 8th”

What are different states up to?

In a July 8^th press conference on education, Vice President Mike Pence indicated that the White House “hope[s] every school in America is able to open this fall.” Schools across the country are trying to be creative in their plans to keep students and staff safe. Utah schools are considering 4-day school weeks so that the 5^th day could be used to decontaminate the building. Alabama schools seem set to open on August 10^th, but recognize that “could still change,” according to Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Ann Roy Moore. In Florida, Education Commissioner Richard Corcora relayed an order that schools must be open “at least five days per week for all students” and provide all services required by law, including in-person instruction. Schools in New York seem to be taking a more cautious approach according to an article in today’s New York Times. New York Mayor Bill De Blasio has suggested “two days a week or three days a week, depending on the week,” and expanded “remote learning exclusively,” at parental discretion.

The White House “hope[s] every school in America is able to open this fall.”

-Vice President, Mike Pence

What are some of the concerns for schools?

Every state, and even each county nested in those states, has to wrestle with the unique needs of its population when considering how to re-integrate communities back into schools. Further compounding the difficulty of reopening are expectations from parents as they balance worrying about the safety of their children and their own families, with getting back to work as the economy continues to slowly attempt to get back to normal. Teachers and school staff must also be considered. While children seem to be more resilient to the symptoms of Coronavirus, the average age of a teacher in the United States is around 42 years old. Many teachers are also in higher risk age groups according to their age, or any number of pre-existing conditions. What’s more, we do not know if a teacher/student has grandparents who live at home, children/siblings who have pre-existing conditions, or connections to other vulnerable individuals.

What does the path forward look like?

The CDC recently released a series of guidelines/suggestions surrounding the safe re-opening of schools. There were a host of suggestions that were made to reduce the spread of coronavirus and attempt to keep people safe. Schools should, according to the guidelines, consider implementing hygiene education, modified layouts, staggered scheduling, cohorting, mandating student mask compliance, and preparing policies for when someone gets sick. President Trump tweeted in opposition to these guidelines stating that he “disagree[s] with the CDC on their very tough and expensive guidelines for reopening schools.” He went on to call the guidelines “impractical,” and intimated that he would be coming up with his own set of guidelines for schools to follow.

The first weeks of August, and the new school year, feel like a long way out. But, those days are just around the corner. Stand4Kind will continue to monitor the schedule for re-opening schools, and will be here to support our students, teachers, schools, and communities to the best of our ability. Remember, kindness always wins!

Check out some of our other recent posts:

The importance of community

Compassion = Empathy + Action

What is Leadership?

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My wife and I have always been walkers. Living in Salt Lake, our apartment was right below a part of the city called the Avenues. A grid-like neighborhood with smaller homes and crisscross streets. The streets were all lined with sidewalks. There were crosswalks were at every intersection to encourage pedestrian traffic. As many of the residence would walk to the grocery store, or one of the many local restaurants or coffee shops the neighborhood had to offer, there were always people walking about at all times of day. Walking was always a leisure and bonding activity for us. Although we moved to Alabama last June, we kept daily walks as a part of our routine. The walks served as a time for my wife and I to spend time together talking, catching up after our days at work, and just enjoying each other’s company.

Escaping the stress presented by the doom and gloom seem to be a primary function of our walks, these days. Getting away from our phones and iPads is an important part of that escape. Those walks are also a chance for us to get out of the house. Which is something only  to be done for “essential travel.” And most importantly, our daily walks keep our dog from getting too stir crazy.

Teens coping with daily stress?

A recent article printed in the Washington Post highlighted the importance of getting out of the house during these times of deliberate isolation, particularly for teens. The article, titled Teens are discovering a cure for coronavirus anxiety: Walks. No phones allowed., recognizes that “a lot of teenagers across the country,” the article highlights, are “stuck at home, deprived of school and friends, anxious about a future suddenly upended by the coronavirus pandemic.” Many young people are attempting to find a new normal. Establishing new routines. Exploring new ways to remain socially connected to their friends and family.

A mandatory slowdown can be a bit jarring for those who are used to busy schedules. Some school work has transitioned home, and is occupying time for students. But the opportunity for hour-after-hour of Netflix has never been greater. Add to that a constant connection to social media, with its benefits of helping us feel connected and its detriments of overwhelming us with a million different voices, and young people could reach the end of each day wondering where the time went.

Could going for a walk be a part of my new normal?

Take a moment and think about your “new normal.” What are some ways that you could structure your time that leave you more fulfilled at the end of each day? Maybe reading a book would give you a sense of victory every day as you move your bookmark further and further. A great way to remain connected while staying isolated might be to Facetime or Zoom your friends/grandparents. Switch up your evening of Netflix for a family board-game. It may be just the thing to help you feel a bit more connected. And maybe leaving your phone at home and taking a walk around your neighborhood is just what the Dr. ordered.

Check out some of our other posts:

Social Media – Tool or trap?

Bullying in our schools – Data from the CDC

Values: What are the things that matter, and how do we decide what to reach for?

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One looming question is why does slowing the spread of the coronavirus matter? Many of us have heard that this only affects the elderly, so young people can be less worried. Or perhaps you have heard that people are more likely to get the seasonal flu. The problem with statements like these is that they fail to acknowledge a number of things. First, millions of people are vaccinated against the severe effects of the flu every year. And second, our healthcare system is generally prepared for “flu season” and the millions of patients who trickle in through the doors of our nations hospitals and clinics every year. The rate at which coronavirus is spreading through our population is requiring us to rethink the strategy that we are using to prevent infection.

Which brings us to our high school seniors who are now out of school. The 2020 seniors, already being dubbed “Gen C,” have a critical role to play. These young people graduated into communities who are sheltering in place. Communities working from home, or not working at all. Communities who are not celebrating spring with baseball and barbeques. “Gen C” has graduated into a world that requires increased vigilance and individual responsibility. The class of 2020 has graduated into a world where significant sacrifices must be made in the moment—like cancelling Prom and graduation—to protect the future. When I graduated high school, in 2003, I remember thinking about MY next steps, ME going to college, ME stepping into MY future. The class of 2020 is being required to think about the effect their behavior has on OTHERS: how does me staying home protect OTHERS? How does me avoiding sickness protect OTHERS? How does delaying gratification not, protect OTHERS in the future?

The class of 2020, in many ways, is being called upon by their country even before graduation. Restricting social activity now can reduce future infection rates. Taking steps to keep yourself healthy can help prevent others from getting sick. We can choose to use this crisis as a moment to teach young people about the role they play in their communities. Reminding them of the importance of working together and making sacrifices toward a common good. Encouraging them to be optimistic about the future but cognizant that there are times where we must exercise restraint. Internalizing the idea that they have the ability to affect the world in a very positive way could be a silver-lining to young people through this crisis. And if young people internalize that message showing kindness to others will be a natural consequence.

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Parents have a difficult job in front of them at the moment. Jobs may be laying off employees or, if you are lucky, requiring workers to take their jobs and work from home. Schools have let out, many have done so for the remainder of the year. Which further complicates the lives of parents who now have to juggle working from home with taking care of children throughout the day. Talking to your kids about grown up topics is tough. Younger kids may be asking questions like: “are you and dad going to get sick?”; “what about grandpa and grandma?”; “are we safe?” And older kids may be asking you about things they are hearing online, from their friends, and from the news. A recent article from CNN outlined several different strategies that may be helpful for parents who are not sure how to have this tough conversation:

1. Be reassuring, but be honest:

We may not have all the answers, as parents, but we do have the thing our kids need most: a deep meaningful relationship. In moments like this, where people are confused, fall back on the fact that your kids trust you, and your behavior often determines their level of concern. Assure your kids that they are going to be ok, and you are going to get through this together. Address your child’s fears, as those fears are real (in fact, none of us really know, yet, what the scope of this event may look like), but reassure them that people are working hard to help those who get sick and prevent as many healthy people as possible from getting sick as well.

2. Do not avoid the subject:

Young people, of every age, are keen observers. They hear and see things that adults often wish they hadn’t. Parents can act as a filter for kids of all ages. Young kids may be hearing a lot about the Coronavirus, and it may be a helpful first step to talk to them about the fact that “this is a fancy word for what we normally call a cold or the flu and something that has been around for a long time. Now there is a new virus, and that is what everyone is talking about.”

Kids are really going to benefit when we take the time to be transparent with our kids. They are, in all likelihood, already aware that there is something going on that is really really big. Take the time to explain it to them so they can stop wondering about the elephant in the room.

3. Less can be more:

While we are spending time with our children, it is important that we listen to them to understand their concerns. Often kids will respond well to a parent who is calmly and quietly giving them an opportunity to express themselves. Filling silences with talking might be something that we are used to doing in a number of different areas of our lives; however, giving our kids time to think with us there to support them is a great way for us to understand what their concerns might be, so that we can reassure them.

4. How to say, ‘I don’t know’:

It is important for us to say “I don’t know,” when presented with a question that we do not know the answer to. It seems as though this is antithetical to everything we understand about contemporary society, however. With our smartphones, if we have a question about the world often the answer is just a few key strokes away. When our kids ask us a question that we do not know, and we cannot simply look up (e.g., “are you going to get the virus?”), we can take that moment to say “I don’t know the answer to that.” We can also add reassurance to that as well by encouraging them that “it seems most people who get sick are getting better.”

Telling kids that you can “look things up together,” is another empowering way to model the fact that it is ok not to know everything. Reassure them that “we can find the answer together.” When these kinds of statements are made to children in a calm and inquisitive way, and not in a panic-stricken way, is generally not a worrying event for children.

5. Calm yourself down first:

Just like my brother at the grocery store, there are times where we need to ask our children to put their questions about the world on hold, momentarily. In those moments, where we realize that we might be really scared or anxious about the state of the world, it is important for us to calm ourselves down before attempting to navigate the crisis with our kids. Remember, that kids of different ages express anxiety differently. It may be a temper tantrum with our younger kids, rapid fire questioning from our pre-teen kids, and withdrawal from our older kids. Whatever the behavioral expression of anxiety, be sure that we are not misreading children’s misbehavior as oppositional and seeing it for what it is: deep concern about the world or their family. Talking to your kids will help minimize these feelings of anxiety.

6. Power them up:

When we feel helpless, we all attempt to find things that we can do to control our feelings of chaos: see the toilet paper isle at Costco. There are things that we can do to empower our kids as well. For those younger kids it may be washing your hands “to kill the germs,” or acting through play to “cast a spell on the virus,” or “pretending to be Elsa (from the movie Frozen) and freezing the virus.”

Empower older kids through talk too! For those seniors who are looking at no longer having a high school graduation, they are now part of a very adult community that must sacrifice their individual desires for the greater good of the community. For those seniors, this virus could come to define the values of a generation if their parents frame the crisis appropriately and contextualize the role of the child as a member of their community.

Lots of uncertainty is present in the coming days and weeks and, possibly, months and years. But one thing is for certain: whatever the crisis, parents can help their children adjust to a new way of life, and children can be resilient and strong in the face of adversity.

Catch some of our other posts:

COVID-19 closed schools? Student tips for time at home

Values: What are the things that matter, and how do we decide what to reach for?

Psychological Flexibility: Time to relax my thinking

The post Talking to your kids about Coronavirus appeared first on Stand 4 Kind.

So, your school has been temporarily cancelled. Maybe classes have been moved online. Or maybe your teachers are busy at work preparing your curriculum for you to complete at home. This can be a really tough decision to make for schools, as they know the burden it can put on parents and students. Many parents work during the weekdays, and rely on school for support with supervision. And think about the millions of meals (School Lunch) that are served to students each day that will now happen at home.

If a child is now at home, it can be tough to coordinate support for that young person. Especially true with younger, grade-school aged kids. Being a student in this position can be tough too. School is a time where we get to socialize with our friends, and whether we like to admit it or not: sometimes unstructured time can be tough to manage! Having a set schedule is a great benefit to young people, and the school day helps to regulate your eating, sleeping, and often your exercise throughout the week. Extracurricular activities, like school sports or club events, are also one of the big ways we see our friends and fill-up our cup socially.

Let’s talk about a few things you can do, during this time away from the classroom, to cope with the change of being home.

1: Make sure you continue to wake up at a regular and reasonable time

Regulating your sleep is critical for your mental well-being. Waking up at the same time every day can help you regulate your behavior and keep you on a routine. If you have a pet, think about how critical it is for them to go out at about the same time every day. For them to walk at about the same time every day. For them to eat around the same time. The same is true for all of us. We really rely on a routine to keep us organized and sane in the world. Without school, you now have much more time to organize on your own, and fewer consequences if you violate your schedule. 

2: Continue to be physically active

School often provides us with a time to be physically active. Not only are you walking from class to class, and sprinting back to your locker between classes, you may also engage in physical fitness during the day, sports teams before or after school, or both. If those things are suspended, you really need to consider what you are going to do during the day to keep your body active. When you have an active body, your mind is better able to organize and process information, and your mood and your sleep patterns regulate themselves better as well. Being mindful of public places because of COVID-19 can complicate physical activity. Going to the gym is not recommended; however, a walk around the neighborhood might be ok, or a hike on a more isolated nature trail may be ideal.

3: Continue to be mentally active while out of school

Along with being physically active, be careful to consider that you are maintaining your mental activity too! We may take for granted how special it is to go to school everyday and listen to new ideas that help us grow and challenge what we know about the world. If schools are cancelled because of COVID-19, you will need to make sure that you are continuing to challenge yourself to grow and learn throughout the day.

Find a good book that you have wanted to tackle for some time. Listen to a new podcast that you are interested in. Try writing, drawing, or playing music. (We have included some links below to check out.) Anything to keep your mind active, and not watching movies, or playing video games all day. Projects around the house might be great. Cleaning/organizing your bedroom, or working out in the yard can be incredibly satisfying and meaningful ways to spend a bit of time.

4: How does COVID-19 change how I socialize?

If your school is closing, going out into large crowded places is probably not a great idea. There are some small changes you can make to your social life to adjust. Having a movie night at home instead of going to the movie theatre could be one. Making dinner at home instead of going out to a restaurant might be another. The problem with “social-distancing,” one of the techniques recommended by the CDC,  is that we humans are social animals. We love to be around each other. And a day off is the perfect time to go out and see movies, hang out with friends, and get out and explore the world around us; however, we know that social-distancing means to be conscious effort to limit close contact with others. Finding a good balance is the important thing, and remembering that our goal should be to keep ourselves, and those we care about healthy.

Spring Break and Travel Plans may change because of COVID-19

Spring break is coming up, and families may be trying to decide if vacations/family-trips are going to continue as planned, or if travel plans may be changing. And although the news keeps evolving day-by-day, it seems to be the case that older adults, like your grand-parents, may be more vulnerable to exposure to COVID-19 than younger people. A visit to them may be better if postponed for the near-term, just to wait and see how things play out over the coming days/weeks. 

5: Be careful not to overuse social-media and manage your time as well as you can.

Even if schools are suspended as a precaution to COVID-19, you may still have assignments that you still need to stay on top of.  Be sure to schedule time to do those things throughout the day to do those things. Waiting until the last minute only creates more stress. Your parents may not be home to make sure that you regulate this schedule either. That means, it is up to you. You have to decide that this routine is important for you and will be worthwhile.

Imagine every morning waking up with a clear path set out in front of you that leads to something that you would like to accomplish that day. Unstructured time presents us with all kinds of opportunities to get lost from that path we set out for ourselves. Think about what a path looks like. I imagine a small dirt path in the woods. Beset on both sides by trees. The path that I imagine is small. And I think that is true of paths to our goals, in general. The path is a small, somewhat direct, route that leads through the distractions (and dangers) of the world to the things that we value (or think we value). Social media can be a way to slip off the path of our goals and when we finally open our eyes, several hours later, only then do we realize how far from our path we have deviated. 

Conclusion

Having schools cancelled is not easy for any of us. It often is only when we start restricting things in our day-to-day lives that we start to realize some of the things that we normally take for granted. There are a number of great online resources for us to keep our minds active, and stay informed during this time. Check out some of the links below:

12 Famous Museums Offering Virtual Tours

Live Streaming Concerts

Grade-school Science Lessons – Online

Khan Academy Schedules for School Closures

Free Yoga Classes Online

Youth Fitness – Online

And check out some of our other blog-posts:

Bullying Prevention: Research to Practice

Secret to Ending Bullying in School: Teaching Kindness

Identity: What is it? How do I find mine?

Additional Resources:

Stay up to date on local Coronavirus news with Utah.gov

Follow national Coronavirus news with CDC.gov

US Department of Education ed.gov

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