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How to talk to kids about the new school year

School will be different in the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. Blanca Cobb offers suggestions on how to have the conversation.

One hot topic has been what happening with schools in the fall. Governor Cooper announced that North Carolina schools will reopen under Plan B in the fall. This means a combination of in school and virtual learning. But, there's also a Plan C, which is virtual learning. Now, parents are deciding what action they want to take for their children. Send them to school or rely on virtual learning or home schooling. 

Make your decision before you talk to your kids. If not then you can come across as uncertain, and your body language will be uncertain (facial expressions and voice) and that opens the door for disagreements such as, "You don't even know what you want then why are you making me go to school or do virtual learning."

For young kids, keep a smile, this is what's happening when school starts. For older kids, you might want to hear their ideas as you make a decision. And see if that impacts your decision. Once you decide, tell them that you know there's been a lot of controversy about how to handle the school year. You thought about X,Y, Z and have decided that your kids are going back. And this is what it's going to look like. Or, you decided that virtual learning or home schooling is best. And this is what it's going to look like. 

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If you get push back about your decision then listen to their perspective. Empathize with their emotions. Find out their concerns and address them. Find alternatives. This is important because you're letting your kids know that their opinion is important. And you're teaching them problem solving skills. 

Share your thoughts on my Facebook page: Blanca Cobb - Body Language Expert. Write a message on my timeline and I'll get back to you. While you're on my page, I'd appreciate if you give it a "like". 

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