Summer is over which means our kids and grandkids will be going back to school, but this time doesn’t feel normal. That’s because it isn’t.

Instead of sending our kids to school with lunch boxes with little notes in it, we’re sending them with masks and hand sanitizer. Telling them to “make good choices” as they leave has a bit more seriousness behind it.

It’s tough, but there are steps you can take to make sure your children and the rest of your family remain healthy during the pandemic.

Before they go to school every day, check to make sure your children don’t have any symptoms including a fever (over 100 degrees), cough, diarrhea, severe headache, vomiting, or body aches according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. If they exhibit any of these symptoms, they should stay home and get tested.

If your kid carpools or rides the bus, make sure they wear a mask for the entire trip to prevent the spread of Coronavirus between kids and drivers. When you pick them up from school, have them wear a mask and you wear one as well until you get home where you can check for symptoms and wash your hands and masks well.

Reinforce the importance of social distancing and hand washing. Twenty seconds is the least amount of time for proper hand washing. Make it fun so they can do it on their own at school.

Although it is less likely for children to die from COVID-19, 1 in 3 children hospitalized for COVID-19 end up in an intensive care unit which is the same rate as adults according to Fox News. Since many children are asymptomatic, it’s vital for your health and the health of others around you and your children to take these precautions and stay safe this back-to-school season.

For more tips and checklists to keep your family safe, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/parent-checklist.html