The coronavirus outbreak has caused major disruptions to daily life and children are feeling these changes deeply. While the return to school will be not only welcome but exciting for many students, others will be feeling anxious or frightened. Here are tips to help your children navigate some of the complicated emotions they may be facing with going back to school.

• Having honest, reassuring conversations about the changes your child will experience at school this fall

• Practicing safety measures at home while keeping the tone light and fun

• Helping your child feel connected and engaged socially while social distancing at home

• Gently checking in on how your child is coping and offering creative ways to express difficult feelings

• Promoting online safety

During this difficult time, it is important to find time to take care of yourself and your children. This article gathers a few ideas for how to enact self-care for the whole family—with the help of media and tech, and sometimes without it.

• Using meditation, deep breathing and mental health apps to reduce family tension

• Finding movement exercises through dance, running, jump or other video games or apps that involve physical activity

• Focusing on healthy habits and wellness through websites and apps that address food and proper nutrition

• Seek distractions through funny movies, fascinating documentaries, silly YouTube movies as a way to avoid negative news sources

If you are having issues with a student Chromebook (won't charge, won't start up, login issues) please contact your student's teacher or school office. They will be able to properly route you to the best assistance. Please remember that restarting your student's Chromebook is also a great way to do some basic troubleshooting at home. Click here for a quick video on how to restart your Chromebook!