The United Nations declared the Philippines as the fourth highest disaster-prone country in the world, with 152 floods in just 2015 alone. How do you prepare your child for the rainy school days ahead?
Check if your child’s immunization shots are complete.
Cough, colds, and the flu are common rainy day illnesses, and the risk of the virus being passed on will be higher now because your child will be in contact with a lot more people. Get in touch with your child’s pediatrician if there are any shots or vitamins to be taken before school starts.
Get your child’s rain gear ready at all times.
Pack a raincoat and sweater in your child’s backpack, and if they’re big enough to bring their own umbrella (and not lose it), let them. Pack an extra towel just in case they get caught in the rain somewhere and would need to dry off.
Have his head teacher on speed dial.
Thanks to social media and instant messaging apps, schools and teachers can easily inform the parents about any cancellation of classes. But just in case you need an urgent answer, make sure you have the number of your child’s teacher or of the point person saved on your phone.
Find out about automatic suspensions on the next page.
Be aware of the automatic suspensions.
The Philippine Government has stated that when Signal number 1 hits, it’s an automatic suspension of classes for preschoolers, while Signal number 2 is an automatic suspension of classes for preschoolers, grade schoolers, and high schoolers.
This means that you no longer have to confirm with the school if ever these storm signals have been declared in the area of the school of your child. Stay tuned to your local news shows and radio stations for any updates—sometimes the declaration of classes are given the day before.
Use your better judgment.
If you live far away from your child’s school, chances are you’ll experience a difference in weather—it could be blue skies in your child’s school, while it’s a full-blown visibility zero situation in your home. If traveling to your child’s school will mean putting you and your family in danger, sit this one out and let your child stay home.
Have an “exit plan”.
When the storm hits and your child’s already in school, the best-case scenario is for you to personally pick them up. But what if you’re at work, or traveling during the current weather situation will put you in danger?
Get in touch with your child to assure them that you’ll get there as soon as the roads clear up and the weather lets up. If your child tells you that a co-parent or a bus service provider offers to bring him home, tell your child to put you in touch with the adult first so that you can assess if it’s a good idea, and get the details of the driver and the vehicle to be used. Check if they’re well fed and kept safe in school. Stay in constant communication with your child until you’re able to be with them.
Read: 5 Fun kid-friendly soup recipes that are perfect for rainy days
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