While it can be difficult to get young kids to follow instructions around social distancing, there are a few things parents can do to minimise the risk of any COVID-19 spread on the playground.
Any COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be given first to higher risk groups before it is given to children. But we still need vaccines that are safe and effective for them too.
At age 7, Black, white and Hispanic children have a similar opinion of the police. But this increasingly turns negative by the time they are teenagers, especially for nonwhite teens.
Back-to-school routines under COVID-19 look a little different than previous years. For one thing, kids need to wear masks. Which means many parents have mask questions.
Children going missing from the same institutions without investigation and loopholes in criminal security checks for people looking after vulnerable children – issues that need urgent attention.
When water stagnates in pipes, harmful metals and bacteria can accumulate and make people sick. Buildings that were shut down for weeks during the pandemic may be at risk.
Children need the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered by experts in ways they can understand. A briefing may reduce children’s anxiety and increase their understanding of the pandemic.
Each year, parents consider when to start allowing their children to commute to school unsupervised. During the coronavirus pandemic, there are additional concerns.
Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary