Advice for parents from PSUSD’s nursing supervisor as the school year begins
Palm Springs Unified School District hosted a COVID-19 parent training session to educate parents and answer questions as the new school year begins.
The session was held virtually and covered everything from how to talk to your student about COVID-19 to the best daily practices to keep them safe.
News Channel 3’s Madison Weil spoke with Laura Dyson, PSUSD’s nursing supervisor, who shared some of the main points they addressed.
#1 What to do if your child has COVID-19
“If your child starts developing these severe symptoms, call and get medical care right away,” said Dyson.
Dyson says some families are hesitant to call for help if symptoms develop. But if your child is having trouble breathing, she says call 911 immediately. “If we wait too long, it could be too late so we want to be proactive with that.”
Dyson also recommends checking in with your child’s pediatrician if they have asthma, as it puts them at a higher risk. She says they might need a specific inhaler to eventually return to campus.
#2 Make sure your child is getting used to wearing a mask daily
“Let’s start working on getting our kids to wear a mask and getting comfortable with doing that because that’s going to be a requirement once they come back to school,” said Dyson.
Also practice with your child the correct way to remove a mask. “You’re just going to open up the ear loops nice and wide and really just lean forward and pull the mask away from your face,” said Dyson.
If it’s disposable, throw it directly in the trash. If it’s reusable, she says it should be washed after each use. “So if we had five masks for each day of the school week, then we have a clean mask for every single day.”
#3 Teach kids the importance of frequent hand washing and social distancing, especially before they return to a school environment
“For younger students they like to crowd together, give each other hugs and so we want to reinforce what six feet of distance really looks like,” said Dyson.
